Chinoumi
by Ketsueki-Kage
Summary: GaaraHinata with one sided HinataSasuke. Gaara is with half the people from his Village, taking off to Hidden Leaf Village to escape Orochimaru. Sasuke stops talking. Hinata is being suspicious. Neji likes to tattle tale on Hinata. RR! Warning: SAD.
1. Chapter One: A New Start

A/N: This is going to be a Gaara/ Hinata and some one sided Sasuke/Hinata. runs from the murdering fans Don't kill me! - it might have a sad ending, though.... Or no ending.... sheepishly coughs R&R! -ii  
  
Hinata quietly edged into the room after Shino and Kiba, though it wasn't needed as no one would have noticed her anyway. She played nervously with her fingers, her eyes downcast. Inside, Kakashi, Asume, and Kurenai were talking. She had been late, as Shino had forgotten to tell her. But that was okay. The white walls were bright from the open windows. It was a nice day outside, and inside the rectangular lights were buzzing very softly but it was noticeable if you were paying attention to the details. The air conditioning was on, whirring loudly.  
  
She sat down quietly in the back, the chair not making a sound. She found herself by Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto who was a seat away, Sasuke between them. She blushed when she noticed Naruto, but looked slightly disappointed when he cuddled with Sakura. Swallowing, she focused on the teachers.  
  
"...So we will have to switch some teams around." Groans and cheers could be heard, and Hinata sighed, extremely lost.  
  
Easily seeing this, Sasuke whispered, "They've decided that since all our levels have changed, we should be put in new teams as such could be the case when we're-" Naruto asked loudly, "What?" leaning in with Sasuke.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke was silent as he sat still, ignoring his poking. Kakashi said, "Please don't interrupt, Naruto. As I was saying, we've posted the new teams up here." He pointed at the four sheets of names. "The teams will be in fours, a result of the new students we've acquired." Some grumbling but they soon were silenced from the people from the Hidden Village of Sand. They'd come to Leaf because of reasons that Hokage wouldn't say.  
  
Little whispers flittered around, and Hinata immediately gulped. Gaara of the Desert. From where she was sitting, she could see a part of his Gourd that rested on his back, and he sat with his siblings, though he would never call them that.  
  
Hinata sighed softly, looking down at her hands that were nervously wrung in her lap. Her pale eyes sat on Gaara's red hair. She felt worried for some reason, and abruptly everyone stood and rushed to the front to see which teams they were on. Except for some people who waited patiently for the crowd to disperse and go out side into the sun.  
  
From behind her, Kurenai said softly, "Would you like to know who you're with, Hinata?" Hinata turned around and smiled weakly.  
  
"I guess... I don't know... m-maybe I'll just wait for everyone to go..." She said, looking back at the pushing people.  
  
Kakashi shouted over the grunting and snarling, "When you find you're teams, go outside for your missions." And the pushing increased, some people actually deft enough to sneak in, look at the names, and sneak out again.  
  
Gaara sat in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited patiently.  
  
"Hinata, you're with Uchiha Sasuke, your cousin Neji and..." She seemed to falter a little. "Gaara." Hinata gulped, shrinking back a little. "Team 8."  
  
She gave a little, "oh." And sat down, sinking down a little helplessly. Sasuke looked at her, wishing all the girls could be quieter like Hinata.  
  
Finally, Naruto leapt over the crowd cheerfully and duplicated the sheets, tossing them out to the crowd. They cheered and were less loud as they looked over shoulders.  
  
Neji quietly told Gaara, and went over to Hinata and Sasuke. They went outside, not speaking at all.  
  
Hinata, feeling slightly uneasy with the silence even though it was better than arguing, said softly, "Sh-should we just wait out here?"  
  
"That's what they said," Neji said coldly. Hinata winced slightly and played with her fingers timidly. Other teams were laughing and chattering loudly, and they simply sat in the shade, watching silently. They all stood, Hinata wanting to sit but she didn't know if that would make them uncomfortable, so she just leaned against the tree. Sasuke frowned at Neji, but said nothing. A few minutes later, Hinata sat down, taking out a small doll. It wore a tiny kimono outfit, violet with soft green leaves. She had long, silver hair and little green eyes.  
  
They all looked at it curiously, Gaara cocking his head slightly to his left.  
  
"What's that?" He asked abruptly, startling Hinata slightly. Gaara sat down, his knee a few inches from her own. He looked fascinated with the little toy.  
  
"It's just a doll.." She said softly, patting the little silver strands.  
  
"What do you do with it?" He asked, leaning closer. His leg brushed against hers and she blushed.  
  
"Y-you play with it," Hinata said, slightly taken aback.  
  
"What's play?" he asked inquiringly like a child.  
  
"When... when you are having fun doing something," Hinata tried, then regretted it.  
  
"Like when you play with the people you're about to kill," Neji said darkly, staring at Gaara. It seemed to make sense to him now.  
  
"Oh." Hinata put the doll away and played with her fingers, wishing they would stop staring at her. The dry ground was slightly dusty, and Hinata boredly wrote with her finger, smiling at the fine dirt.  
  
A few moments of intolerable silence passed, and Hinata gulped slightly, sweat beading slightly on her neck. Looking down, she rubbed the soft dirt between her thumb and middle finger, looking entranced.  
  
"Are you afraid of me?" Gaara asked abruptly, and Hinata jerked up, slightly surprised.  
  
"N-nani?" she blinked, her eye brows furrowing.  
  
"Are you afraid of me?" he repeated, staring into her eyes.  
  
Hinata was slightly lost for words, then thought about it.  
  
"No." she said, shaking her head. This time he moved back a bit, equally surprised.  
  
"Then why are you nervous?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Because-" she stopped, looking rather sorrowful, then stayed quiet.  
  
"Because what?" Neji asked rather unexpectedly. Hinata looked down.  
  
"Because I can't take care of myself." She said softly, looking rather mortified with herself. "I'm sorry."  
  
"You're always sorry," Neji said darkly. "When are you going to do something about it?"  
  
Hinata looked away.  
  
Sasuke felt anger rising in him. Neji had no right to talk to her like she was nothing! Glaring at Neji, Sasuke opened his mouth to reply.  
  
But stopped when Kakashi and the other teachers filed out, clearing their throats for attention.  
  
Everyone stood, including Gaara and Hinata.  
  
"Teams one through five, follow me," Kakashi said, calmly walking back inside.  
  
"Why'd they tell us to go out here when they want us back in there?" Sasuke asked with a little snarl, releasing pent up anger still directed at Neji.  
  
"They have their reasons," Gaara said quietly. Hinata was a few feet behind, holding back tears when Gaara finally sighed and stopped, turning around.  
  
"If you can't hold your own in a fight, then we'll just have to help you," He said, pulling her wrist gently, so they quickened their pace slightly and went inside with the other teams. Hinata followed, her head still downcast.  
  
"No," Neji said, "If she can't hold her own in a fight, then she's dead." He said coldly.  
  
Hinata bit her lip, knowing she was very well useless in battle.  
  
Gaara pulled her away, unable to stand it. "No. I'll protect you," He promised, and the big, innocent eyes that stared up at him were something he'd not regret.  
  
"A-arigato, Gaara-kun," She said quietly, biting down on her trembling lip. He inwardly sighed, and said quietly, give me your finger." She put her forefinger forward with out hesitating a heartbeat. He took out a kunai and it took a moment to keep the sand from stopping him, but he made a little cut in his finger, before gently cutting hers. Her trusting eyes were so pretty...  
  
He pushed his finger so it met hers and their blood mixed, and they both pulled back.  
  
"Don't suck on it," he warned her. "It'll take my blood out." She nodded, and bound their fingers with some bandage and they returned to their other team mates, who looked upon them curiously but asked nothing. Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously but simply turned back to Kakashi, who was having trouble getting some people in.  
  
Chouji shook his head violently. "Not without my food."  
  
Kakashi sighed. "Just leave it out there for a second, you can't bring food in here."  
  
"Why not?" the boy asked, scowling at the wall.  
  
"Because it's a rule. You can listen out there though." Kakashi shrugged. Chouji munched rebelliously on a chip. Kakashi walked back inside, and said, "Your first mission with your new team will need to guard this," He held up a straw figurine of a person while ignoring the snickering, "With your lives. From a group of Jounins." Groans and complaints could be heard. "Hey, hey! Come on, we're not THAT bad..." Kakashi smiled, his half lidded eye twitching slightly.  
  
"... so please come here tomorrow at five thirty sharp. Don't be late," He warned, and Naruto snorted loudly.  
  
"US?!?!!?!?!" He shouted, reaching to strangle the silver haired Jounin.  
  
"Good day, everyone," Kakashi said lightly, disappearing in a puff of smoke.  
  
Neji sighed, and Hinata played with her fingers. Sasuke needed no further prodding and left, silently walking out of a back entrance where as everyone tried to stuff themselves out the front. Gaara began walking, and Hinata followed him like a lost puppy. Neji narrowed his eyes slightly, there was something that bothered him about Gaara...  
  
Hinata walked along with Gaara, seemingly unaware of his watching her out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"D-did you mean what you-" Hinata started.  
  
But Gaara knew exactly what she meant, and stopped her. "I always mean what I say," He said quietly, stopping. Hinata stopped too, and they faced each other.  
  
Hinata gulped.  
  
"Why are you afraid of confrontation but not me?" Gaara probed.  
  
"Because I'm not good with people." Hinata admitted, looking away. Gaara reached over and gently tipped her chin towards him.  
  
"Why aren't you afraid of me?" He asked, repeating the question from before.  
  
"Because... because you're like me," Hinata said softly, looking down.  
  
Gaara's eyes widened slightly and he stepped back, for the second time that day.  
  
'Am I like her?' he thought, in a slight daze.  
  
"Gaara-kun, there's something you have to understand," Hinata said, looking at him. "There's always going to be people with you, and there's always gong to be people against you. Because you're lonely." Gaara wanted to make her be quiet, but could not bring himself to do more than stare at her.  
  
Gaara felt like a child for the first time in years. He found himself at a loss for words and shook his head slowly to clear it.  
  
Tiny tear drops fell, splashing against the ground. Sand swirled around him as Hinata looking longingly at him, wanting to hold him and tell him it was okay. And she did. Reaching forward, she gently pulled her arms around his shaking body.  
  
"Gaara.... I'm going to be here for you... forever and ever. You will always be able to talk to me, okay?" she asked softly.  
  
"E... even if I kill someone?" He asked timidly, afraid of her answer.  
  
"Even if you kill someone. It doesn't matter to me, Gaara-kun, okay?" She asked, smiling warmly up at him.  
  
And for the first time in a very long time, Gaara smiled back.  
  
Neji narrowed his eyes, watching in the bushes. Hinata hadn't even discovered him yet. Biting down a snarl, he was kneeling down, leaves poking into his vision slightly. What was she thinking? Gaara of the Desert....  
  
'What a predicament you've thrown yourself into, Hinata. And you don't even know.... Yet....' Neji slid away silently, heading back to Hinata's father. 


	2. Chapter Two: The Home Within the House

A/N: - hello everyone! (even the ones eagerly waiting without dropping a review.... -- I know you're there.... sniffles ) but still, squeals Thanks for giving me a review! It does slow down a little, but I'm just too excited! - oh, yeah, and I don't own Naruto.... But if anyone wants to give him to me... well, anyway, reviews make me so happy! runs around screaming   
  
Muses: Pokes you know, you could use that energy for writing.... --  
  
Kage: Why?!?!? Oh... yeah... sits down and starts writing at super fast speed WHEEE!!!!!  
  
-------anyway---------  
  
Hinata deftly avoided contact with anyone as she slid inside the house. It wasn't home anymore. The house was quiet, peaceful.  
  
Unwavering.  
  
Hinata quickly fell asleep, fearing who she might wake up to seeing.  
  
Hinata yawned, sitting up in her bed, blearily rubbing her eyes and pausing to keep the nausea away. Swallowing slightly, she stretched and tossed the soft, white and blue covers off of her. She stood up weakly, shaking her head slowly and faster to get rid of clogged thoughts.  
  
"Meet.... Kakashi-sensei.... Team... five thirty...." Hinata wasn't worried; the sun wasn't up and it was still dark outside. Peeking out of her window, she saw the gardens, crisp frost still stinging the leaves and flowers.  
  
Brushing out her hair, she sighed and took a bath, dipping her head into the cold water. After a ten minute bath, she forced herself out and dried out her hair which hung in dripping, soft strands around her face. Shivering, Hinata pulled on her clothes and her weapons, slipping on her socks.  
  
She looked at her clock.  
  
Five. She had plenty of time. Cracking her neck, she slid open the door with little more than a soft grating noise and closed it, quietly walking to the kitchens. The cooks weren't up until six, so she simply helped herself like always.  
  
Closing her eyes, she listened intently for anyone else and sat down at the table, eating breakfast alone...  
  
Like always.  
  
By five twenty, Hinata had been waiting at her post for five minutes, playing with her fingers and imagining that she could have someone to talk to.  
  
About five minutes later, a few other people had come in as well, grumbling to themselves. Naruto came in, and Hinata wanted to jump up and talk to him, but he was following Sakura like a little boy.  
  
And that's just what he is, she thought glumly. How she wished she could be in Sakura's place! To have attention placed on her... she looked down sadly.  
  
Gaara walked in, and Hinata was still staring at the ground in deep thought.  
  
Sitting down beside her, Hinata gave him a startled smile.  
  
"Ohayo, Gaara-kun," Hinata greeted in her soft voice.  
  
"Ohayo, Hinata-kun. Have you seen Neji or Sasuke?" He asked quietly.  
  
Hinata shook her head. "Iie. Did you have a good night's sleep?" She asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"....I don't sleep." Gaara said. "Shukaku would take over me."  
  
Hinata nodded, feeling stupid.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" Gaara asked, knowing the answer. He'd seen her in her sleep, whimpering and thrashing around, trapped in the nightmare as he was helpless, only holding her hand which seemed to calm her slightly.  
  
".... N-no, not really... I had a bad dream... but I don't remember what it was," Hinata said, blinking.  
  
The rather distinct boy who wore his usual clothes with his hair tied with the forehead protector walked in, and sat with them. "Ohayo, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said softly.  
  
He said nothing for a change, simply looking away.  
  
"Ohayo, Sasuke-san," Gaara said, surprising the thus far silent teen. When had he started adding things to people's names?  
  
A few minutes later Neji joined them, glaring at Hinata. "Why did you go so early?" He asked.  
  
"I didn't want to fall asleep again," Hinata said, looking down nervously.  
  
"You could have told someone," Neji snapped.  
  
"No one else was awake," Hinata said, ever quieting as she timidly hunched down.  
  
"Leave her alone," Gaara demanded, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"You should have woken someone up," Neji stated, pouring guilt over Hinata.  
  
"G-g-gomen, Neji-san," Hinata said, shrinking down as Neji towered over her, glaring.  
  
Neji glared at her again, frowning in disapproval. "What would your father say?"  
  
"Leave her alone," Gaara repeated, sand swirling around the four.  
  
"Why? She shouldn't have done what she did," Neji snapped, turning on Gaara.  
  
"Please don't be mad, Neji-san..." Hinata pleaded, and Gaara narrowed his eyes. How could Hinata stand all the accusations?  
  
"Gomen, Neji-san... I promise I won't do it again," Hinata said, tugging his shirt a little.  
  
"Don't touch me, Hinata," He snapped, scowling. Hinata slid back, retracting her hand.  
  
"Gomen." She said, and Gaara growled softly.  
  
"Don't talk to her like that," Gaara said, his arm going protectively around her shoulders.  
  
Neji's eyes sparked, and he said stonily, "This is none of your business."  
  
"It is, because her blood is my blood and my blood is her blood." Gaara stated, a little harsher than he'd wanted to but since Hinata didn't protest, Gaara gently pulled her in tighter at the look Neji was giving them.  
  
"Listen, just because of your mushy moments don't mean that something like this can last forever, Gaara," He spat. "You can hug her as much as you want but it's going to end," Neji said icily, turning away and standing while everyone else sat.  
  
Hinata bent her head down, hot tears running down her face.  
  
"N-Neji-"  
  
"Go away," Neji said, not looking at her. "You're useless. Just more dead weight to carry around." Gaara snarled, standing up.  
  
"You'll regret saying that, yarou." {A/N: Yarou= bastard... some people spell it yaro, I know, and I don't...} Gaara pulled the stopper out of his gourd, and sand slid out in silky waves. Neji smirked, turning his head slightly behind him.  
  
"You aren't allowed to kill a team mate," Neji said plainly. "And besides, do you think a little bit of sand will stop me?"  
  
"Ah. Neji, it isn't a little bit of sand," Gaara said, laughing for once. The other teams looked slightly worried at the cold laughter.  
  
"...Gaara-kun, don't hurt him," Hinata said in a little child's voice as she quietly touched his arm. He jerked back, as Shukaku woke.  
  
**"Hmm. Who am I allowed to kill? Never mind, I don't care!"** Shukaku snarled, and Sasuke and Hinata moved back immediately on instinct, and Neji laughed.  
  
"No! Stop it Shukaku!" Gaara put his hands to his head, breathing raggedly. Hinata was worried, moving towards him.  
  
"Iie! Get back..." Gaara muttered weakly, but closed his eyes. When he opened them, he grinned maliciously at the three.  
  
Hinata quickly stood in front of them, begging, "Please... Gaara-"  
  
**"Gaara's sleeping,"** Shukaku smiled sweetly. **"Tell me, do you want to die?"  
**  
"You can't hurt me," Hinata said softly, "We have the same blood." Shukaku reached forward, sliding out a kunai from his pocket and slid the sharp object down her hand. Licking up the flowing blood, he snarled.  
  
**"Too bad... you have such delicious blood..."** Shukaku cackled, leaning in to Hinata. Fear flickered across her face.  
  
"Onegai... Shukaku... let Gaara out," Hinata pleaded. Shukaku smirked.  
  
**"What makes you think-"** Shukaku started, shaking his head with his eyes closed.  
  
"Gomen nasai Gaara!" his eyes opened wide as her hand shot out and tapped a vein on the back of his neck and he was unconscious in a second and a half.  
  
Neji scowled darkly as Hinata sighed quietly, clutching at his hand tightly hoping he wouldn't be too mad when he woke up.  
  
Gaara blinked, groggily sitting up.  
  
"Gaara!" Hinata said, her eyes wide and anxious. He leaned to his right where Hinata wasn't sitting and threw up his breakfast, curling into a tight ball and closing his eyes tightly. Hinata gently stroked his hair.  
  
His eyes slowly opened, as if fearing she would turn into a monster.  
  
"Shh... Gaara-kun, are you alright?" She asked softly, her concerned white eyes checking him over.  
  
"H-Hinata... did he hurt you?" He asked weakly. "I-I can smell your blood." She held her hand up to him but shook her head.  
  
"Not badly. Just to check if we were the same blood," Hinata smiled reassuringly at him.  
  
"Don't worry. Come on, Kakashi-sensei should be here soon... he's already very late," Hinata said softly, looking at her watch. Sasuke said nothing but knew he wouldn't be here for hours.  
  
About two hours later, Kakashi-sensei finally showed up, smiling at the angry glares he received.  
  
"WHY ARE YOU SO LATE??!?!!"  
  
"WHERE HAVE YOU-"  
  
"Now, now..." Kakashi sensei tried to block the barrage of screaming teens form him by putting his hands out. "Uhh, I was walking alone when a... uhh... dog came up and... err..." He glanced at his watch.  
  
"OH! Good you're not late," Kakashi laughed hurriedly, walking quickly out the door. Everyone followed, wanting to see what they were actually up against.  
  
Several Jounins stood by, looking extremely bored. They perked up a little when they saw the crowd coming at them.  
  
"So, Kakashi, these are the chibis we'll be beating?" A rather laid back one said, smirking at Kakashi.  
  
"Who said you'd beat them?" Kakashi smiled. And the Jounins all snorted.  
  
"Honestly, Kakashi... do you really think a bunch of little midgets will beat us?" they asked, chuckling mildly.  
  
"Some." Kakashi grinned. "But now," He tossed some straw figures out. "We'll start. You may spread out into the forest, but don't go any further than the white field. You'll see what I mean," Kakashi grinned mysteriously. "Your job is to make sure your little friends don't get the stuffing beat out or stolen by the Jounins. Come back at ten at night, I will be waiting," Kakashi said calmly, smiling slightly.  
  
Neji was thrown a rather beaten up straw figure, stuffed so that it burst through little cracks.  
  
"They could have made a better one," Neji said coldly, looking at it. He noticed the inside immediately. Thick, dark pieces of heavy metallic like substance.  
  
Can you guess who said nothing again? Neji, Gaara, and Hinata looked at him. {well that kinda leaves someone out doesn't it? -}  
  
"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" Hinata asked softly, looking rather worried for the Uchiha heir.  
  
He gave a little noise but no words came. He didn't meet her eyes.  
  
Hinata sighed, and Gaara muttered gently to her, "Don't be concerned. The Uchiha boy can take care of himself." And Hinata shrugged a little.  
  
"I know, but... he seems... different some how...." She looked at him again, shaking her head.  
  
"I don't understand..." She murmured. They just walked into the woods, and Sasuke followed dutifully.  
  
Chikuso... the Hyuuga girl knows something's wrong...  
  
Hinata couldn't chase away the sick feeling inside her... there was something different about Sasuke... she shook her head. 'Great, now I'm going crazy...' she thought glumly, sticking by Gaara.  
  
Abruptly, Gaara stopped, and whispered a few dreaded words,  
  
"The Jounins are headed this way."  
  
Hinata swallowed a groan, and Neji knew they were surrounded on all sides.  
  
"Up," He said simply, and they all leapt into the cover of the trees. They all spread out, Neji taking the straw person as he bolted up. They scattered into different ones, trying to cover their chakra.  
  
"Kuso," Gaara whispered softly, and gently eased some sand out. Quickly performing a set of jutsu, he whispered almost silently. Slowly releasing the sand, it slid down the tree unnoticed. There were five grains of sand, and they morphed into the shapes of each teammate and the straw figure. They darted away, leading them east. The Jounins caught the movement, and spread out to find them. Smiling to himself, Gaara tossed a leaf onto the ground. As he'd expected, a net shot up and caught nothing.  
  
Dropping more leaves, the other three caught on and casually did the same, in case there was a Jounin who stayed behind.  
  
Finally they leapt down, swiftly heading west. The group was silent. There was nothing to say.  
  
The boy who believed he was alone waited until he was a few feet behind... he couldn't show his true intentions until it was time... he smiled thinly at Neji.  
  
'He'll get what he deserves', the Uchiha thought, quelling thoughts of hate that built up.  
  
'Every little bit back...' he thought, chuckling...  
  
With the straw bundle tied to his back, Neji smiled thinly, knowing who was staring at his back like he wanted to throw daggers at him.  
  
'Pft, what a baka. He can't even hide it?' He wanted to laugh.  
  
Gaara looked around them, his mind completely open. He closed his right eye, one hand performing the jutsu for the Third Eye. Sending it up, he scouted.  
  
"The Jounins have discovered our trick. They're coming our way again," Neji said, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"More people in front of us. We have to go west," Gaara concluded. He didn't wait for them and leapt west on the large trees. Launching themselves after him, the rest of the group found themselves contemplating the same thing.  
  
How the hell did Gaara know where he was going? Aside from the Third Eye.  
  
Neji glanced at Hinata. She'd been worried all day... was there something wrong? He glanced at Sasuke.  
  
Ah hah.  
  
Neji frowned. The Uchiha boy was acting suspicious....  
  
Gaara kept his eyes open for anything...  
  
But it was silent, aside from Neji's mutterings about the straw body.  
  
"...wish it was alive so I could kill it..." Neji grumbled.  
  
Sasuke glowered at him, wishing he would just shut up before he killed him...  
  
Hinata saw Neji frown.  
  
"Neji, please shut up for a second. If you don't want to carry it, give it to me," Gaara said boredly, stopping them all.  
  
Worried about a fight, Hinata said quietly, "Hurry. They're headed this way." She didn't need to use Byakugan to know.  
  
Neji threw the straw body to Gaara who took it and they started again, turning right. They still had several hours to wait.  
  
Sasuke used his Sharingan and glanced around, though he said nothing.  
  
No one noticed the extra dot in his eyes except Neji, who narrowed his white eyes. More power than yesterday flowed out of him.... More chakra....  
  
Something was up.  
  
Have they noticed?  
  
Hinata looked up, and could see some blue and white patches of sky through the thick canopy. But soft grumbling to the east could be heard.  
  
Thunder.  
  
Gaara cursed under his breath.  
  
"Storm headed our way." Gaara stated simply, and knew it would be good to cover tracks but bad for vision.  
  
"Ano sa, ano sa!" they all rolled their eyes at Naruto's loud and obvious voice.  
  
"Ai! Shut up, baka!" Ino and Sakura could be heard also, but less clear. They were heading away from them. Gaara wasn't worried; they were too stupid to know what to do, despite the last person in the group, Shino.  
  
Hinata wished she could have been sick... or said she was at least.  
  
"L-l-let's keep g-going," Hinata offered hesitantly, looking at the incoming storm with growing anxiety.  
  
Gaara nodded a little, and they leapt off again, heading towards Naruto's group.  
  
Within a few moments, they reached them.  
  
"Ano sa!" Naruto shouted, and they jumped down gracefully.  
  
"Hello, Naru-" Hinata started quietly, happy that she hadn't stuttered at all.  
  
But Sakura interrupted her.  
  
"Sasuke-kun!!!!" She squealed, along with Ino.  
  
Sasuke sighed in irritation. Idiots and complete morons.  
  
Gaara stood back, looking at the straw figure with slight doubt. What were they supposed to be doing? This wasn't strengthening any of their skills...  
  
He looked at the straw figure again, this time with suspicion...  
  
"GAARA!"  
  
A/N: Don't you just LOVE a cliffie? - la la la....  
  
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!! - squeals 


	3. Chapter Three: In the End Not the actual...

The line between life and death A/N: I'm so proud.... TT.... I don't think anyone actually reads these things because they aren't really funny... but... hey, who cares? XD  
  
ONWARD HO! La la la.... twiddles thumbs so.... Where'd the story go?? Lol.... Just kidding... coughs and looks around ehhhh..... oh, yeah, and I promise this isn't the end. -.- despite what you may think! It's just the beginning of the end!  
  
Oh yeah, seriously sad... TT... I guess it's convincing... yeah, and ! .- despite what you may think, I don't do this for fun, I do it for the reviews! :D so review please!  
  
Gaara jerked his head away, making a terrible decision.  
  
"Na-" he started, confused as he turned around, his eyes wide in horror as it had gone. For once in his life, it vanished.  
  
His sand had gone.  
  
Where? And why? When he looked up, it was too late to turn.  
  
Everything seemed slow. Hinata's feet pounded into the ground, throwing herself in front. But she was too late. Only two kunai were embedded in her skin. One in her arm and the other in her leg.  
  
Six kunai buried themselves in Gaara's skin, and Gaara blinked at the sharp pain.  
  
'Is this what people feel...? This is just physical pain.... But.... Emotional is said to be much worse... how can they stand it?' he thought blearily, swaying slightly as he fell backwards from the momentum. Two in his left arm, one in his chest, and three in his legs.  
  
The pain was so numb.... Blood soaked his shirt. The kunai were buried deep, at least several inches in. If he could see it, it would have been like blue lightening cracking throughout his body. But he didn't really need to see it. Feeling it was well enough. His shoulders tensed, and he groaned. His hand jerked slightly.  
  
A moment later Hinata was there, tears spilling out of her tormented eyes. Her beautiful, white eyes looking at him sadly as if he'd died. What if I die? Gaara frowned a little. Who'd take care of-  
  
Pain... it shot down, and his leg twitched slightly.  
  
"Gaara! Oh, Gaara..." She was shaking as if she was having a miniature seizure. She felt coldness wash over her in panicked waves, and her stomach was ready to get rid of her breakfast.  
  
"H... Hina...ta..." Gaara chocked out, blood dripping out of his mouth. She looked at him, her eyes red and puffy.  
  
"Gaara!" She said, holding on to his slightly limp hand as he faded away before her. Her arm was bleeding horribly, in between her elbow and shoulder. She ignored the jarring pain and cupped his cheek, still shaking.  
  
"Gaara... please don't die," She whispered.  
  
He chuckled with some difficulty. "I-I want to tell you s-something." He chocked on some blood, knowing it was coming soon.  
  
"What? Gaara?" Hinata panicked. He couldn't die, wouldn't die!  
  
"I-I l-love-" he collapsed in a heap of blood and flesh. Blackness scorched his vision as his eyes closed and for one fleeting moment, he thought he saw his mother. Standing beside him, across from Hinata. She smiled, her soft blue eyes identical to his... her hair black as night.  
  
"Gaara, don't worry about her." She smiled thinly. "I know everyone will take good care of her!" Her soft voice grew into a roar. To Gaara's horror, she turned into a monster, blood dripping from its sharp, jagged teeth and claws, the stench familiar. It was like a banshee, face whiter than his own, claws each a foot long, thick black stitches with disgustingly rough black yarn attaching arms and legs. And the neck. Gaara shuddered.  
  
The monster laughed, throwing its head back.  
  
"Gaara, I regretted you the moment you were born!" The voice turned scratchy and old. And dead, mixing with her soft tone.  
  
"You, a monster more than I, was brought into this world. And a terrible mistake it was." It laughed again, just before Gaara disappeared into the darkness.  
  
Hinata was crying, shuddering and shaking.  
  
"Oh Gaara, you'd better be okay.... Please.... Please!" She shouted, the air chilling slightly. Small rain droplets tumbled down, soon turning into dime sized droplets, splashing onto Gaara.  
  
From afar, Itachi laughed within his host's body. Oh yes, one down... just a two more to go... blood... delicious, soothing blood... crimson tears.  
  
Hinata and Neji had pulled Gaara into the cover of a tree, and Hinata closed her eyes and turned away, closing off her ears as Neji pulled out the sharp blades from the only one she'd ever loved.  
  
As soon as he was done, Hinata turned back, pulling his head on to her lap. Softly stroking his cooling skin, she begged him not to go.  
  
"Don't leave me alone... please don't go away..." She whispered, running her fingers through his wet, red hair. She touched his face and realized with shock that his body was turning cold.  
  
"NO! GAARA! DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! PLEASE!!" She slid down the base of the tree, whimpering and begging him. Blood from each kunai spread out, staining his clothes three inches in diameter.  
  
Neji said nothing, just looking out at the silvery white rain that washed up in sheets, thunder booming.  
  
Loud and bright lightening jerked Hinata up, and she looked at the tree with worry, and even more at the harsh rain.  
  
"Gaara, please come back... I can't move without you..." She whispered, her trembling fingers lightly touching his other cheek.  
  
"Don't make me come after you..." Hinata whispered, and bent down, giving him her very first kiss...  
  
Gaara didn't move. His face was turning cold. She shook.  
  
Hinata was crying softly, her tears blurring her vision and wracking her lungs. As she gasped for air, she laid down next to him, her bloodied right arm protectively over his bloody corpse.  
  
And every thought vanished as she knew Gaara was dead.  
  
She closed her eyes, her heart aching with dull, never ending pain that shook her legs and arms. She rolled gently on top of him, his face looking at hers.  
  
"Gaara, if you can hear me, I'll be with you soon. Don't worry." She curled up on Gaara's chest, no heartbeat or slight rise and fall of his chest.  
  
"You've gone away... and now, I have no point in living," She whispered to him, clutching at his soaked clothes and his soft scarf.  
  
The gourd was with Sasuke, but the rains had washed the sand away. It was empty, and crumbling because of the moisture.  
  
Hinata closed her eyes, a little sniffling sob out of her and she put her arms around him.  
  
"Gaara... I love you." She said, kissing him again. "It doesn't matter what world you're in... it doesn't change how I always will feel about you." She gently traced over the kanji.  
  
"It's true, Gaara. I love you." Hinata sighed with a little sob. "Even though all you've left me is alone. Please come back, Gaara. I'll do anything.... I... I'll be with you," She smiled. "You're my only one. The one. You can't go yet. Not without me. And not without knowing how I feel about." Hinata's leg was numb, and she cried.  
  
"I'll give it up for you. I'll give you anything. Take it. Take my life..." Hinata placed her cheek against his cold one.  
  
"And I'll go the way you went." She stood up, and picked up the bloody kunai. Neji looked up sharply.  
  
"Don't. He left this world unwilling and that isn't the way you're going," Neji said. Sasuke didn't even look up from the diminishing pile of the gourd. Sand ran away in trickles of water.  
  
"I don't care, Neji. I'm going with him." Sasuke snorted at this, but kept his opinion to himself.  
  
"T-tell Kakashi-sensei that I've gone, okay?" Hinata smiled at the kunai, old blood still dripping. Neji shook his head.  
  
"Why don't you take revenge on Kakashi?"  
  
"I doubt it was supposed to happen like this," Hinata said, and then turned back to Gaara. A thought came to her, and she smiled.  
  
A crack of thunder and the forest lit up like day.  
  
"Let's go back to Kakashi sensei." Hinata looked at her watch. "It's nine forty five." {A/N: Yeah, yeah... I know, unrealistic... but you never know! XD}  
  
Summoning up her chakra, she picked Gaara up, and was surprised by his weight. He barely weighed anything at all... Hinata shook her head softly, and they leapt away, Neji bringing the dismembered kunai and the destroyed straw body.  
  
He was sure this wasn't part of the lesson.  
  
They headed back, not running into anyone familiar. Hinata looked down at Gaara...  
  
'What a mess... oh Gaara... don't worry, I'll be with you soon.' She smiled softly.  
  
That went well. Itachi laughed inwardly.  
  
This is getting fun.  
  
Looking at Hinata, Itachi's inward smile grew wider.  
  
Let me help you with your love...  
  
Hinata looked up as they were at the end of the forest.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei," Neji shouted. He looked up, frowning at Gaara.  
  
Neji threw the body and kunai at Kakashi.  
  
"Na.. nani?!" Kakashi stifled a soft gasp.  
  
"He's dead," Hinata said, looking down. She set him down, and kissed him, her arms around his neck.  
  
Kakashi looked up, worried. How many would die?!  
  
Other teams came, proud and some glum. But none were dead.  
  
"There's been a terrible mistake," Kakashi said to the other Jounins, most of them rather ashamed with themselves.  
  
"Wha-"  
  
Kakashi shook his head and pointed to team eight.  
  
"Dead." They stared at him, not comprehending.  
  
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the forest.  
  
Neji twitched slightly, turning to Sasuke again. Sasuke used Sharingan again, searching the forest. Neji looked again at his eyes.  
  
Three dots in each. Neji snarled in his mind. That wasn't right. He only has two! HE ONLY HAS TWO!  
  
Hinata stroked his cheek gently. "Gaara..." she smiled softly. "Soon. When they pay." Her other two teammates jerked their heads in her direction.  
  
"They'll die for taking you away. No, wait, they'll be tortured... for as long as their ever shortening lives will allow." A wave of determination washed over her. Hinata took out a kunai and a mirror. Bracing herself, she carved the kanji that stained Gaara's forehead and placed it on her own. At the end, she gasped in pain. Blood trickled down her severely colder face.  
  
"Gaara... no one will get away with soiling your name or mocking you. Because I'm going to kill them all." She said, playing with his hair. Two drops of her blood fell on his pure skin. She wiped it off, not touching her own blood stained face. The entire left side of her face was red.  
  
"I'll study hard... and I'll come for them. They'll die. Every single one of them," Hinata said softly.  
  
"Punishment." She lightly kissed him, and stood up. She walked over to Kakashi, confidence in her stride. Neji and Sasuke stared after her with slight amazement.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, do you know who did it?" She asked calmly, secretly proud she didn't even stutter.  
  
"Orochimaru." He said, hate staining his words. He pointed at the name on the box inside the straw body, still intact.  
  
Hinata simply nodded, turning around.  
  
"Does it hurt?" He asked, not turning around from the straw body and bloody kunai.  
  
"More than if it was me." Hinata said, and continued back to Gaara.  
  
She softly traced over the puncture marks.  
  
"Now I'm on my own. But I will get revenge. You won't die in vain."  
  
And she picked him up.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, permission to go home," She asked in more of a statement.  
  
"Yes," Kakashi said, swallowing hard at the cold expression on her face.  
  
Two other teams came late, breathing hard. They also had dead bodies.  
  
Kankuro and Temari. Their bodies were covered in kunai also, blood dripping from their mouths. They all had an indifferent but slightly pained expression. . Hinata closed her eyes, but only kept walking. People stopped to gawk at the blood dribbling down her face, staining her hair. And at the kunai in her leg, trailing blood. The gash in her arm was turning cold.  
  
"What are you looking at?" She demanded, not stopping or turning around. They turned away. Hinata walked slowly around the village, going to the base of a mountain. She walked through forest and the sky was black, littered with tiny stars.  
  
Hinata looked up, smiling icily.  
  
The moon was full. Clouds were nonexistent, hovering on the horizon. Hinata reached the base. Looking up, it looked so tall. The huge mountain looked down at her. Hinata shifted Gaara to her back, tying him to her back with his scarf.  
  
"You know, it feels like you're not dead yet." Hinata stated, smiling quietly. She walked up the mountain, climbing with difficulty.  
  
"I wouldn't worry. I'll be right with as soon as I kill Orochimaru. He'll pay. With his life. You didn't have to die. You haven't done anything. I really don't understand why it couldn't be someone else. Like me. Or no one at all." Hinata shook her head.  
  
"You're innocent. But now I'm alone again. Please wait for me." She smiled at him.  
  
Only when the sun was rising did Hinata reach the top. She breathed hard, but smiled at the sun rising.  
  
"Can you see that? Look... it's beautiful... she smiled at the colors that painted the crisp blue sky. Hinata started digging. With whatever she could find, broken wood, dead trees. She finally had a sizeable hole. She couldn't bring herself to bury him. So she took dead wood and looked around for something...  
  
With a little groan, she knew there wouldn't be any nails or anything...  
  
"You know, I have some glass," A voice said behind her. Turning around, she looked relieved.  
  
"Neji. Will you help me make a glass coffin?" She asked, pleading.  
  
"Hai. Come on, we have to go, though." Neji said quietly.  
  
"But I can't leave him here." Hinata said stubbornly.  
  
"Alright," Neji said, shrugging.  
  
"I'll be back with the glass." He said, and left. Hinata was left with Gaara.  
  
Smiling, Hinata told him stories. Little stories of when she was only a little girl. She laughed.  
  
"You know, I think I'd be closer to you when you're alive... but... I guess it doesn't matter..." Hinata chuckled softly. "There's just a little line between live and death..." Hinata smiled at Gaara.  
  
"Just give me some time. And I'll be by your side." She hugged his dead body to her.  
  
"I love you, you know?" Hinata laughed. "Even if I've just seen this side of you... you are so.. yourself..." Hinata laughed again. "I miss you already."  
  
"Miss you already..." Hinata's voice echoed in Gaara's head. He held his head, sitting up. Hinata? He turned down, and jerked back, surprised.  
  
His body laid down on the ground, unmoving. He looked at his body.  
  
A ghost.  
  
Shit.  
  
"Hinata," He said, hoping she heard him.  
  
But she continued to cry onto his body, talking to him sadly, softly touching his hair.  
  
"Kami sama," Gaara breathed, surprised. He tried to touch her.  
  
His hand slipped through her shoulder. Hinata shook violently, holding her "C-cold? Gaara?!" She stood up, eyes wide. Gaara smiled. She was so smart. He stroked her hair, and froze as he saw the bloody kanji.  
  
"Hinata..." Gaara blinked as Hinata stood up.  
  
"Gaara? You can hear me?"  
  
"Spirit... Hinata..." Gaara looked around quickly, and grabbed a stick. But his hand passed through it.  
  
"Oh, Gaara!" Hinata looked around helplessly, and Gaara got an idea.  
  
It was insane, but it might work. He turned around and slowly settled into Hinata's body.  
  
Had it worked?  
  
Hinata? He thought, and Hinata smiled.  
  
'Oh Gaara!' an image of Hinata hurtled herself at him. He held her. She was so warm... he closed his eyes to the blank gray space.  
  
They pulled back, and Hinata touched his solid face.  
  
"I love you." She said, her head in his chest.  
  
"I love you too." Gaara said, and blinked at the truth in his words. Love... warm enveloped his heart. They looked around. There were desks around them, rows and rows. They were all steel, and marked by day.  
  
They looked around, poking in and out of the moving files.  
  
"Ah!" Hinata said triumphantly, and Gaara peeked over her shoulder. She held a file of them.  
  
"I'll protect you." The Gaara in the file said, and Hinata smiled at him.  
  
They looked around, and Hinata jerked a little.  
  
"I think Neji's back," She said, and Gaara looked confused.  
  
"With glass to build your coffin." Gaara nodded, staying in her mind. She disappeared.  
  
Hinata woke up, blinking a little. "Neji?" She asked curiously.  
  
From behind her, he said, "Hai. I have glass, nails, and two hammers. I think we can make a glass coffin with a wooden mantel piece."  
  
"Arigato, Neji-kun," Hinata said, smiling. He said nothing, simply starting to put the glass together.  
  
"I also have things for a fire to seal the glass together." Neji said, not looking up as he started the fire with dead wood.  
  
"Thank you so much." Hinata smiled, and got to work making a spot for two.  
  
"Make the glass big," Hinata added. Neji looked up, slightly confused but then realized what she was saying.  
  
He nodded simply, quietly working on the glass as Hinata started building the bottom piece.  
  
It would be a comfortable space for them to sleep eternally. She was slightly absent as she returned to Gaara.  
  
They headed to the eyes, so he could see what they were doing. Neji had out several glass pieces, and Hinata had absolutely no idea how he'd managed to get them up the mountain.  
  
Hinata had finished half when the sun had gone down. But darkness didn't stop them, it spurred them on. The fire was still lit, and Neji was sweating and breathing hard as he finished fusing the last piece.  
  
Polishing the burn marks, he was nearly done. He looked at Hinata, blinking when he saw she was almost complete with her job. It should have taken a longer time, but he reminded himself that Hinata was not the more normal of people. She nailed on the last piece, and got to finely sanding the wood. Hinata was focused, but smiled from time to time.  
  
Neji inspected Gaara's corpse, and turned back to Hinata.  
  
Finally, when the sun was up again, Hinata placed Gaara inside the wooden part. He was on the right side, but when Hinata seemed to think a bit, she moved him to the left. Gently placing the glass on, Neji was a little puzzled at the small smile Hinata wore.  
  
"It's done," Hinata said softly, her fingers leaving a slight mark on the glass from the heat.  
  
But it disappeared.  
  
"Until I am back, Gaara," Hinata whispered.  
  
The last time she'd been at a funeral, she'd seen this particular jutsu. Repeating the seals, she placed the spell on the coffin.  
  
His body would last.  
  
Hinata kissed the glass softly, before she set to digging a trench around the coffin, putting wooden stakes there. The fall would be about six feet, because it would be too hard to do anything less. Channeling the chakra to her feet, she jumped out, pleased with the doughnut like shape.  
  
Gaara floated on his own piece of land, his eyes forever staring at the back of his lids.  
  
"I'll be back," She said, covering up the trench with light, dead branches and covering the ground with the dirt she'd dug up.  
  
Neji said quietly, "He isn't gone forever, you know."  
  
"Yes." She smiled brightly at him, her last real smile. She walked away slowly while talking with Gaara, Neji leaping ahead of her.  
  
Around noon, Hinata walked back into the village. People stared, as dried blood stained her hair and the stench of blood emitted from her. She didn't limp, despite the bleeding leg.  
  
Her clothes were stained with Gaara's blood, as well as her hands. Her dark blue hair was slightly stuck together, and Hinata smiled softly and with obvious faked happiness. They backed out of her way, seeing all the blood on her.  
  
"Hinata?" An astonished and familiar voice asked from behind her. Hinata didn't stop.  
  
"Hinata! What are you doing?" a different, but disgustingly familiar voice.  
  
Hinata turned around and gasped.  
  
Gaara jerked out of his sleep, gasping for air.  
  
A nightmare... he told himself, shaking. Just a nightmare... he looked around him. Hinata laid by him, on his left, her futon and his own separated by a space of a foot or less. He felt extremely confused.  
  
Kakashi walked in, smiling at Gaara.  
  
"You got hit on the head pretty bad. Are you alright?" Kakashi looked slightly worried at Gaara, who was sweating and breathing hard.  
  
He swallowed. "How long?"  
  
Kakashi laughed. "It's been about half a day. It's almost past noon."  
  
"Why is the room dark?" Gaara asked in a whisper, not waking up Hinata. The only light came from the corridor that Kakashi stood against.  
  
"Because the windows are closed." Gaara looked confused. What windows? Then turned to his right, and blinked at the window he'd not noticed.  
  
"Are Temari and Kankuro okay?" Gaara asked, fearing the answer.  
  
"Yeah. They've stopped here a lot." Kakashi smiled. Gaara collapsed in relief.  
  
"Why? Bad dream?" Kakashi asked.  
  
"Yeah." Gaara shook his head slightly.  
  
"The last thing I remember is Hinata screaming my name, right?" Gaara asked, slightly unsteadily.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"...so we ARE in the middle of training, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Kakashi smiled. "You hungry?"  
  
Gaara nodded, as if suddenly starving. His stomach rumbled softly. Gaara looked curiously at it. He'd never missed a meal in his life.  
  
"I'll just be a second," Kakashi said, and walked out to the kitchen.  
  
Gaara wondered if this was Kakashi's house. The room was slightly small, but big enough for Hinata and Gaara to be comfortable. There was a small desk, in the right corner. The window seemed to be dark, but when Gaara peeked out, his eyes hurt with the bright sunlight that stung them.  
  
Blinking, he pulled back in, rubbing his eyes slightly. Hinata slept peacefully, a thin blue blanket covering her, the blue wave pattern matching the blue futon. His own was green, with a leaf pattern.  
  
Kakashi stepped back in, with a tray. He placed it by Gaara, and Gaara looked curiously at it.  
  
"Miso ramen, water, and teriyaki." Kakashi said proudly.  
  
"Is this your house?" Gaara asked, poking at the meal before eating it slowly.  
  
"Yup. Nice old place. Tell me when she wakes up," Kakashi said, smiling.  
  
"I'll be in the room down the hall to your right at the end. The bathroom is just across the hall." Kakashi stood up, wanting to ruffle the tangled red hair. It made him look like such a child.  
  
'How kawaii,' Kakashi smiled, then left, leaving the door open so he could see.  
  
Gaara gave a sigh of relief as he saw Hinata breathing.  
  
'That nightmare was the last thing I needed.' Gaara thought glumly.  
  
A/N: That scared you, didn't it?!?!??! - Review, since you're done reading. 


	4. Chapter Four: Memories and a Cold

A/N: GREETINGS!!!!!!!!!! - yes, me again! THE AUTHOR'S NOTE IS IMPORTANT, THAT IS CORRECT, IMPORTANT THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
I don't have much to say... until after the story's written. -.- I know I scared everyone... and you know it too.  
  
Everyone: Well, actually-  
  
I KNOW I SCARED YOU. --  
  
So, I guess it's read on! . :D I've just drunk my cappuccino and I get twitchy even if I just smell it... XD so I might have some spelling mistakes... just warning you.... arm spasms oh, yeah, and uhh... (hee hee hee) ... I couldn't tell you before! It would have ruined it. pouts I don't mind flames, but uhh.... Try to keep the caps lock off... it's annoying. - oh, yeah, and don't worry, Gaara will be back soon. :D and Hinata does NOT end up with .... It was more of a friendship type a thing.... I think.... XD we'll just have to see.  
  
-----  
  
Hinata yawned, blinking a little as she woke. Gaara was awake, finishing the remnants of his Miso ramen. Looking around, she propped her head on her hand, her elbow digging into the futon.  
  
"Good... err... evening?" Hinata looked confused. Gaara shook his head.  
  
"Afternoon."  
  
"Really?" Hinata smiled at Gaara. Gaara turned and lifted up the window slightly, and Hinata blinked, then shrugged.  
  
"I had a strange dream," Gaara said absently, spacing out. Hinata looked at him, slightly worried by the look on his face.  
  
"Really? What was it about?" Hinata asked curiously.  
  
"..." Gaara looked away, and Hinata felt slightly uneasy. What would make Gaara quiet?  
  
He finally spoke, so soft she could barely hear him.  
  
"I... I died..." He said, looking down at his hands. Hinata frowned. Was he making too much of it? She broke out in a cold sweat, swallowing.  
  
"A-and?" She prodded gently, sitting up and facing him, giving him her full attention.  
  
"... it felt so real... please don't ever leave me alone," He begged, fearing her answer.  
  
Hinata smiled, standing up and moving over to his bed. She gave him a hug, tight and warm.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," She said reassuringly.  
  
For the first time in his life, Gaara felt secure. Her arms wrapped around him, his arms around her. If someone tipped them over, they wouldn't let go in time to catch themselves.  
  
"Did I come at a bad time?" Kakashi smiled at the blushing couple. "You should think about closing the door, you know," He teased. "I have some food for you, Hinata."  
  
Hinata smiled, ducking behind her hair. "Arigato, Sensei." Gaara only nodded. Kakashi backed out with Gaara's empty tray, winking at them.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm not saying anything." He laughed and walked away, closing the door. Gaara played with Hinata's hair, inhaling her scent as she was buried in his chest.  
  
"It felt like... it felt like the moon being torn from the stars, when I died. The... the look on your face..." Gaara swallowed thickly, laying down. Hinata kissed him, her slightly limp body resting on his rather tired one.  
  
"Gaara... It was just a dream... it's okay," Hinata said softly, her warm cheek resting against his cold one. (A/N: No, not those ones. XD)  
  
Gaara nodded slightly, but was still unsure. What if that had happened? Who would take care of Hinata...  
  
Kakashi burst in, a serious look on his face. Hinata and Gaara looked at him.  
  
"Err... We have to go," Kakashi said quickly, staring at the position they were in.  
  
Hinata climbed off of Gaara, blushing slightly.  
  
"Why?" Gaara asked.  
  
"Because we have to go and fight. Uchiha Itachi is back. Along with his friends," Kakashi said. "and he's coming our way. Let's go!"  
  
Sensing the urgency, they stood and exited, swiftly going outside.  
  
To see the famous missing-nin of Hidden Leaf standing with a vague look on his face. He immediately looked at them, and smiled.  
  
Swallowing, Hinata felt some strange familiarity with him. She frowned, knowing she'd seen him somewhere.  
  
"Aww, has Ta-chan found a friend?" Itachi smirked, his red eyes staring at Gaara standing in front of Hinata, his cold look playing on his face.  
  
"... wait...." Hinata frowned, thinking hard. Chi-chan...?  
  
Gulping, Hinata started shaking. "C-chi-chan?" She asked timidly, afraid that she was right. Her only child hood friend. What had happened? Why weren't they dead?  
  
Gaara said nothing, but looked at Hinata with a confused look.  
  
"I knew you'd remember me," Itachi beamed, a curious look for him.  
  
"Your fight is with me," Sasuke intoned coldly, glaring at Itachi with hatred. He stood between them, having leapt from the tree he hid in.  
  
"Ah, Ke-chan!" Itachi grinned, making Sasuke twitch slightly.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded.  
  
"Well, I thought since I was already in town, that I'd come see you! How's everyone?" He asked cheerfully. Sasuke stared at him, sweat dropping with everyone else.  
  
"Who are you?" Sasuke snarled, flicking out three shuriken from his sleeve.  
  
"Eh? Who are you? You sure aren't the cute little chibi from my childhood," Itachi said, a teasing note in his voice.  
  
Sasuke's cheek twitched ever so slightly, and he asked the question that had been haunting him since he was a child. "Why did you kill them?"  
  
"Er, who?" Itachi blinked, bending down to look Sasuke in the eye. Putting a hand on his forehead, Itachi frowned.  
  
"You don't seem to have a fever... Hey, where's okassan? Outassan is probably out training, right?" His eyes were wide with excitement.  
  
Hinata cleared her throat, nervously moving forward.  
  
"Y... you killed them all... except for Sasuke..." Hinata said softly. Itachi blinked.  
  
"What day is it?" he asked.  
  
"Wednesday." She answered, starting to get confused. Gaara reached for his gourd. He froze as there was nothing there. He must have left it in his room. He tried to keep the panic away.  
  
What if it doesn't come again?  
  
Swallowing, Gaara felt extremely vulnerable. What if Hinata was hurt? He'd have no way of protecting her.  
  
"Eh? Ta-chan, are you alright? It's Thursday!" He frowned at her.  
  
Hinata shook her head. "Chi-chan, it's Wednesday," Hinata said, wondering if he was unstable.  
  
"Nuh-uh! Monday, I went through the forest, then I found a field. I camped there, and then it was Tuesday. I went to a small village, and ate a little. They gave me some weird looks so I left. Then... oh... okay, maybe it is Wednesday, but..." His face fell slightly.  
  
"Oh, fine, you win," Itachi muttered, scowling. Hinata sighed slightly. Why was he acting like such a child?  
  
A thought struck her. Memory loss? It seemed sort of stupid, the thing that defeated a ninja who killed an entire clan aside from his brother.  
  
"Ah... It- er... Chi-chan, when is your birthday?"  
  
He snorted, than thought, frowning more and more.  
  
"Uhh... I..." Sasuke seemed to have caught on.  
  
"You don't remember anything? What you did?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes. If this was a ploy, it wasn't the best.  
  
Kisame jumped neatly in between them.  
  
"Itachi, what are you doing?" He sighed, moving out of the way, dragging Itachi a few feet away.  
  
After a whispered conversation, Kisame shook his head slightly, frowning.  
  
"Minna-san, Itachi has frequent memory losses... it's from a wound dealt from his Clan while they tried to murder him, so he went insane. Sorry." He shrugged, his rather strange face grimacing.  
  
Hinata swallowed. What..?  
  
"What happened?" Gaara asked, staring at the bruise on Itachi's left temple.  
  
"Well, Itachi was somewhat a kind of... uhh... experiment. Every one in the Clan channeled their chakra into him. That's why he's so powerful. And due to his rather, er, explosive temper, they decided it was simply too dangerous. So, they tried to kill him. Of course, they didn't know he built up all the chakra inside him, every time he got mad. Hey, Sasuke, don't you remember the fits he had?"  
  
"... hai...." His parents had dragged him away every time, and he only saw bits of it. Nearly the entire clan was gathered outside, and Sasuke had to stay in the room that he and Itachi shared. And his older brother would come back in, late at night. Of course Sasuke would have stayed up, waiting.  
  
And when he came, Itachi was always so exhausted, his wrists tied together behind him. It wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep.  
  
Sasuke swallowed. But it can't be...  
  
That's lovely. The only family I have is insane, because of my family.... Sasuke turned, and walked resolutely back to his house.  
  
No, he corrected bitterly, OUR house.  
  
Sitting in his old room, he stared across the room at the old, unused futon.  
  
But now it would not be vacant anymore. Staring at the bed, he supposed that Itachi wouldn't like the memories brought on by his childhood bed, but he remembered it was unlikely that he'd remember it at all.  
  
Sitting down on his bed, he silently closed his eyes.  
  
"Nice, innit?" Itachi's voice interrupted the warm, soothing , familiar calm.  
  
"..."  
  
"Listen, where is e-" he froze, as he spotted the bed, his eyes wide with fear and recognition.  
  
He slowly inhaled, then exhaled, his eyes red with the three black dots.  
  
Sasuke felt a sinking feeling inside.  
  
Another fit... with no one but me to control him with.... Kuso...  
  
"...that's... that's the bed..." he said, gulping. Sasuke stared.  
  
"That's.... no..." Itachi backed out, his eyes wide.  
  
"..." Sasuke said nothing, just looked down.  
  
"... and you knew?" his sad, pitiful voice made Sasuke look up.  
  
"You... you knew that happened... and you stayed in here?" He asked quietly, and the unanswered question hung in the air as he walked out, quietly closing the door. Slow, deliberate, thinking footsteps followed.  
  
Sasuke felt sick.  
  
He should not have done that... and now, the only living family he had left, would probably have to stay outside and be killed or eaten.  
  
That was just lovely. With a sigh, Sasuke walked out, gently closing the door, and glanced into the rooms to make sure he didn't go outside.  
  
He had.  
  
Or at least, he wasn't inside.  
  
Stepping outside, he searched the woods, carefully aware of his surroundings. It wouldn't do to be killed by some wayward animal or person.  
  
Checking up and down, Sasuke jumped from tree to tree. Looking around, he spotted a bundle of black on the forest floor. Leaping down, he approached him. His brown hair was visible, against the metallic gleam of metal. The leaf symbol stood out, and Sasuke sighed.  
  
"Itachi, I'm sorry. Will you come back? It's dangerous out here," he said glumly.  
  
"I know you don't want me in there. I don't want to stay here," Itachi said softly, looking away.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Because you don't call me Onii-chan anymore." He whispered.  
  
"..." Sasuke couldn't find anything to say.  
  
"Go back. You'll get a cold," He said simply, closing his eyes.  
  
"Not without you. You are coming back. I don't care where in the house you stay, but you're staying there," he said stubbornly.  
  
Itachi shrugged simply. "You'll go." He said, as if knowing he would.  
  
As clouds passed the moon, Sasuke stood simply, his arms folded and Itachi watched quietly.  
  
A few minutes later, Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not just going to leave you here."  
  
"Yes, you are." Itachi said, unmoving.  
  
Sasuke glared at Itachi, and Itachi smirked.  
  
"Fine. Stay here and rot." Sasuke turned, and walked away. The cold air bit at him, turning his skin cold.  
  
"Ha, ha." Itachi said, and Sasuke continued back.  
  
You'll be fine... he'll be fine...he can take care of himself.  
  
Can't he?  
  
With a sigh, Sasuke turned back again and walked towards him, muttering.  
  
"How can he be my brother? So annoying..."  
  
As he walked back, Itachi had not moved.  
  
"You know, you are coming-" a small snore from Itachi interrupted Sasuke.  
  
Extremely vexed, Sasuke stormed over and pulled him up. Tossing him over his back, Sasuke stalked back, sweating and irritated.  
  
"You're extremely... heavy," Sasuke sulked, as he entered the house.  
  
"I know," Itachi answered happily.  
  
"NANI!??!" Sasuke shouted, dropping him.  
  
Smiling coyly up at him, Itachi said, "Thanks for the ride. Now, where shall I stay? Oh! Let's see... the living room is good." Nearly skipping, Itachi went to the living room, tossing a smirk back at the seething Sasuke.  
  
"Good night," Itachi said cheerily, closing the door.  
  
Grumbling under his breath, Sasuke scowled at the door and went to his room, going to sleep.  
  
The sun glanced off Sasuke's face. He frowned.  
  
The window was over Itachi's bed. His eyes opened, and he closed them tightly, scowling.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Waking you up!" Itachi said cheerfully. The sun reflected onto the mirror. Even behind the lids, it was orange and red.  
  
"Go... away..." Sasuke said calmly.  
  
"Not until you get up. Hinata's waiting," Itachi said in a sing song voice.  
  
Opening his eyes, Sasuke glared and Itachi set the mirror down.  
  
"Come on, let's go. It's nine."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's nine." Itachi got up, walking out.  
  
With a groan, Sasuke stood up, the room spinning slightly. Sitting back down, Sasuke closed his eyes.  
  
Great.  
  
And now, just like Itachi had said, he had caught a cold.  
  
Sneezing, Sasuke scowled darkly.  
  
Itachi's head popped back in, and he smiled sweetly.  
  
"Aww, I knew it. A cold." Itachi walked in, Hinata following along with Gaara.  
  
Sasuke fell back down, turning to his side so he wasn't facing them and went to sleep.  
  
Neji leaned on the door, waiting.  
  
A/N: Well, that was fun! It's still TUESDAY! I made it!.... eh... at least it's not a cliffie... right...? -  
  
This chapter isn't very important, I know, but that's okay... I think... 


	5. Chapter Five: The Beginning of the err F...

A/N: HELLOOOO!!!!!!! -  
  
To the reviews: WHATS WITH YOUR HIGH STANDARDS?!?!?!? TT.... erm... anyway.... coughs OOC means out of character. ALL HAIL HIGHER PURPOSES!!! ... hmm.... PORPOISES!!!! Is that a word? Porpoise, tortoise... turtle... uhh.... Never mind... just read the story, it makes more sense.. I think... uhh....  
  
Sasuke slept peacefully, the pile of tissues by his futon growing with each passing hour that he was awake. However, he stayed impassive in his dreams.  
  
Sitting down beside him, Itachi read his book. It was one of many from his father's library.  
  
The slow, rhythmic breaths made Itachi tired. But as he stared at his bed, he was wide awake.  
  
Sitting up straight, he continued reading the book. But his eyes passed through the books to the sleeping little boy on the mattress.  
  
"You remind me of me," Itachi smiled, and then sneezed. Laughing, he stood and went to the kitchen to make soup. For both of them.  
  
"Okass-" he stopped, remembering what he had done.  
  
"Why did you do that?" He muttered, playing with his hands. A sick feeling embedded itself in his stomach.  
  
Shaking his head, he thought, 'Sasuke needs me. Make soup. Enough for both of you.' Getting to work, he chopped up some fresh over grown greens from the gardens.  
  
He found the meat easily, the rabbits probably didn't even know anyone lived there.  
  
Skinning the rabbits, he listened for any sign that Sasuke was awake. Setting aside the pelt, he finished. {A/N: Should I save you the bloody details? Hmm... not all!} Throwing the two heads in the trash, he wiped off the blood from the counter. Chopping the red flesh into smaller bits, he got a pan and filled it half way with water.  
  
As he impatiently waited for it to boil, he cleaned out the pelts, the blood had stained the sides slightly. But it wasn't like he couldn't fix that. Scrubbing them, they still smelled like blood, but it was okay.  
  
They'd be good for warm pillow covers, or to sell.  
  
As the water boiled, Itachi put in the meat first, because the vegetables would cook faster.  
  
Stirring it boredly, he added salt and a little pepper.  
  
Putting in the rice next, he stirred the thickening soup.  
  
Throwing in the carrots and harder vegetables, he turned the fire lower and waited.  
  
After a few minutes, he put the rest of the softer vegetables in, mixing it and tasting it.  
  
Deciding it was good enough to eat, he took it off the stove and turned the fire off. Putting half into one bowl and half in another, he took two spoons and went back to Sasuke's room.  
  
Setting Sasuke's formerly favorite bowl beside him, Itachi ate from his own favorite one. It was dark green with little swirls of blue on it. He had thought it extremely kawaii then and still found it very appealing. Sasuke's was black with little red swirls on it, because it was the only one closest to Itachi's. He smiled at that memory.  
  
Practically drinking the soup, {A/N: Really, do you eat soup or drink it? What do you do with soup...} Itachi waited for Sasuke to wake up. The smell was delicious, and maybe familiar.  
  
Okassan made it tons of times, Itachi thought, and the sick feeling came again.  
  
Sighing, Itachi lost his appetite and picked his book up again, reading.  
  
Hinata watched silently as Hanabi sparred with one of her friends. Turning away, she wondered where Gaara was.  
  
And where did he sleep? {A/N: I have wondered that too.... Err... I mean.... cough in this story anyway...}  
  
Beginning to worry, Hinata walked outside, passing the guards with no trouble. It was a different exit from the main one, smaller and less used by the Clan and more by servants.  
  
Going out of the gates, one of the guards said, "I'm glad I just have to stay out here. I wouldn't want to live in there." He shuddered slightly, having heard and seen some of their white eyes.  
  
The other nodded, grimacing. "Shut up now, before they hear you. Or worse, see you."  
  
They stood silently, like statues, each in their own thoughts.  
  
Hinata walked around the village, checking Inns and rental houses. They were all new, white and pearly. Some stood about four stories high, the others just one or two.  
  
Tackling the arduous task, she asked and asked. Most of the people smiled and then as she asked for Gaara they frowned, looking at her with disappointment.  
  
'Who are they to be disappointed and disapproving with me?' Hinata thought, growing irritated. For all they know, I could be wanting to kill him. Or tell him about a new meeting of our team...  
  
They don't know me.  
  
Scowling darkly, Hinata set off to the woods, quietly walking through the brush and trying to avoid trees.  
  
They never approve of me.  
  
They never appreciate me.  
  
Tears blurred her vision.  
  
They never even tried at all.  
  
"They don't understand me. Not a bit. No acceptance of who I am. No negotiations. They want me to be what they want me to be. But I want to be me. They don't know who I am."  
  
Hinata stopped, sitting down, leaning on a tree.  
  
"And they've killed me. Who am I? What am I? I am not them, one of us, but I'm me, one of we?" Hinata asked the curious little rabbit. It made sense until she said it aloud. It's tiny, pink nose twitched, the whiskers small and short, a sign that it was young. It was pure black, with long white tipped ears and with little yellow eyes.  
  
"... Am I one to coo and gush over a little rabbit, then take you home and kill you? Or am I one to just kill you outright?" She asked, tears staining her cheeks.  
  
"Will I let you go or keep you for a pet in my prison?" She laughed softly, standing up and walking away. The little rabbit followed.  
  
"You should go," Hinata whispered softly, gently rubbing its little head... the long ears making it look so adorable. Picking the rabbit up, Hinata stroked the soft fur. Well, it wouldn't hurt to keep her for a while...  
  
"I think I'll name you Chinoumi." Kissing him or her on the head, Hinata kept looking, Chinoumi's tiny pink nose constantly twitching. {A/N: For those who don't know, Chinoumi means sea of blood. Sorry, but really.... It's imperative to the story. nod nod nod lol... if you haven't noticed the title.}  
  
"Come on. Let's go back. Maybe Gaara's training," she said, clicking her tongue. Chinoumi followed, in little bounds.  
  
"Want to race?" She asked, smiling.  
  
"Ready, set, Go!" Hinata bolted, and she saw Chinoumi a few feet ahead of her. Quickening her pace, Hinata laughed, but didn't talk. She would not waste her breath on a rabbit who wouldn't answer back.  
  
As they raced through the forest, avoiding fallen trees and rocks like a ghost, Hinata nearly floated through. Chinoumi was matched with her, ears folded back.  
  
Smiling, Hinata watched Chinoumi enter the village only two feet ahead.  
  
Sighing, Hinata breathed heavily, walking back to her house. Chinoumi followed loyally behind her. Picking Chinoumi up, Hinata ducked people and horses, petting her new rabbit.  
  
As she neared the house, she slowed down, hoping to find a way to hide her new friend.  
  
The same two guards stared.  
  
She glanced around, then whispered to them, "If... if someone were to ask, I was never outside, right?" she looked hopefully at them.  
  
They nodded, and Hinata smiled.  
  
"Arigato." They nodded again, and Hinata went to her left, jumping over the fence and landing in the garden, picking some lettuce and carrots to feed Chinoumi. The guards said nothing, but stared in slight disbelief as she entered her window.  
  
"Well." One of them said, blinking.  
  
Sighing, they leaned against the doors, pondering upon what other wonders they might come across on this unusual day.  
  
Hinata sat on her bed, setting Chinoumi on her bed. Going to the kitchen and washing Chinoumi's snack, Hinata hoped no one would notice. Of course, they would.  
  
But Hinata planned to keep it secret for as long as she could.  
  
Walking back, Hinata entered her room.  
  
Only to find Hanabi cuddling with Chinoumi. She sat on _her_ bed, petting _her_ rabbit.  
  
"That's my rabbit," Hinata said softly, trying not to tremble. If this went before their father, Hanabi would keep it. She could not allow that.  
  
Smirking, Hanabi said, "No. It's mine now."  
  
"No. Chinoumi," Hinata said, clicking her tongue. Chinoumi jumped out of Hanabi's arms, nuzzling Hinata before licking her cheek.  
  
"Get out of my room," Hinata said, mentally relieved at the stutter less voice. Her voice was so confident, for the first time since.... Well, ever.  
  
"What? You can't do that." Hanabi said stubbornly. "I'm going to get outassan." She said, sticking her nose up.  
  
"Fine," Hinata said, holding Chinoumi to her chest protectively.  
  
Stomping out, Hanabi left Hinata to panic.  
  
That was not a smart move, Hinata thought glumly, feeding a piece of lettuce to Chinoumi.  
  
Only a few minutes later, Hanabi came back, smirking triumphantly, Hiashi following behind with a slightly irked look on his face at being interrupted with his studies. Hinata fought the urge to tremble.  
  
"Outassan, Hinata stole my rabbit," Hanabi declared.  
  
With a sigh, their father said, "Hinata, give Hanabi back her rabbit."  
  
"No. Chinoumi is my rabbit," Hinata said, frowning. "She was training. I was outside. How could she have found a rabbit?"  
  
"Give. Hanabi. Back. Her. Rabbit."  
  
"No. It is my rabbit. She can't take it." Hinata held the rabbit closer to her, glaring.  
  
"Give it to Hanabi now!" Hiashi snapped, irritated they couldn't solve this on their own.  
  
"No. It isn't her rabbit."  
  
"GIVE IT TO ME!" Hanabi howled, reaching out for the rabbit. Hinata did the worst possible thing. Reaching forward, Hinata's hand smacked against Hababi's cheek, making a loud sound. Gasping, Hanabi howled in fury and rage.  
"Tell her you are sorry," their father demanded.  
  
"No. She deserved it," Hinata said, and Hanabi screamed and wailed.  
  
"Goodbye," Hinata said, leaping out of the window.  
  
Frowning, Hiashi sighed. What could he do? Besides, they were better off without her.  
  
He'd better send out at least one team of ANBU to find her. He wouldn't let her ruin his reputation as a good father. And plus, anyone could use her Byakugan. She was weak.  
  
Petting Hanabi, he sighed. "What do you want?"  
  
"I WANT THE RABBIT!!" Hanabi shrieked, furiously kicking Hinata's futon.  
  
"Okay, shh... don't worry..." Hiashi said, practically dragging Hanabi out of the room.  
  
Outside, Hinata jumped over the fence again.  
  
Walking out of the gates, the guards could only stare. Hinata had no clue where she was going.  
  
Hiashi stalked out, an irked look on his face, a few Clan members following.  
  
"Which way did she go?" He demanded, and the guards both shrugged.This was probably the most exciting day they had ever had. They watched, amused inwardly, at the search party.  
  
Snarling, they split up, searching.  
  
"She can't have gone far," Hiashi shouted, and they asked questions and looked around.  
  
Neji sighed. He saw this coming... walking around, he felt semi useless and saw Hanabi scowling a few feet away.  
  
'Oh _no_, the lack of attention must be getting to her,' Neji thought sarcastically.  
  
Hinata made so many turns, she had no idea where she was. But at least they wouldn't, either. She was still in the forest, but the trees were different.  
  
Snarled and twisted from lack of light, they were all dead. Toadstools grew deformed and sickly.  
  
Carefully keeping Chinoumi away from the poisonous plants, Hinata decided it wasn't the best place to stay.  
  
Spotting a patch of light in the distance, Hinata jumped, carrying Chinoumi in her arms.  
  
'What about Gaara? What if he starts wondering where you are?' Hinata thought, starting to worry.  
  
As she neared the patch of light, Hinata scratched Chinoumi behind the ears.  
  
The patch of light was actually a clearing. With a little camping spot to her right, Hinata walked towards the first sign of life she'd seen for a while. There were three tents, all in camouflage. In the center of the triangle shape there was a fire, dead. Ashes still stirred in the wind.  
  
Relief and fair anxiousness welled up inside her.  
  
"Excuse me," Hinata said, looking for any signs of human or otherwise humanoid life.  
  
"Hinata?" Gaara asked, in disbelief. Turning around, Hinata's face broke out in relief.  
  
Hugging the baffled red head, Hinata sighed. Chinoumi was at her shoulder, sniffing Gaara.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Gaara asked, confused.  
  
"Well, it's a bit long." Sitting down, Hinata sighed. "... This is Chinoumi, I found her when I was looking for you in the forest. I went back, and Hanabi wanted her. So I left," Hinata said, a little more sheepish now that she thought about her immature actions.  
  
Shrugging, Gaara said, "You could stay with me, Temari and Kankuro. They're getting firewood and food."  
  
As if on cue, Kankuro came with a bundle of dead wood. As he spotted Chinoumi, he declared, "Food! Good."  
  
"No, this is Chinoumi," Hinata said, and the little rabbit leapt into her lap.  
  
Kankuro sighed, dumping the pile of wood by the remnants of the fire. "Now rabbits are pets... where has all the food and sense gone?" he wondered aloud glumly.  
  
Hinata smiled.  
  
"This is Hinata," Gaara said, and Kankuro nodded.  
  
"Do you have any food you'd like to share?" He asked, glaring at the rabbit.  
  
Hinata smiled, a little amused. "No."  
  
"Too bad," Kankuro said with another little sigh. Temari walked in sight, carrying some carrots, lettuce, and roots. Chinoumi's nose twitched uncontrollably.  
  
"This is Hinata," Gaara said to Temari. She nodded, looking at the rabbit.  
  
"Chinoumi isn't food," Kankuro said glumly. Temari looked a little confused, and asked, "I thought her name was Hinata."  
  
"It is. Chinoumi is her rabbit," Kankuro said with a sigh. Laughing, Temari nodded.  
  
Despite the disturbing looks Kankuro and Temari gave Chinoumi from time to time, they seemed rational enough.  
  
"Can I stay with you?" Hinata asked timidly. They shrugged.  
  
"Did Gaara say it was okay?" Kankuro asked, looking over at Gaara who was eating his food mechanically.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then I guess you can," Temari said, smiling.  
  
"Thank you," Hinata said, smiling as she took her food. As they ate in silence, Hinata felt extremely content. It was like a smaller version of her family with people rooted out.  
  
A flock of doves flew across the sky, cooing loudly.  
  
Gaara simply narrowed his eyes. Doves in the afternoon sun? It was fairly warm for them... doves usually came out in the morning...  
  
"Come on, I think the team of ANBU is here," Gaara said quietly, his faithful sand sneaking around his arms. He kept eating, lifting the food up and placing it in his mouth calmly. Chewing thoughtfully, he glanced up again.  
  
Hinata looked worried. Was violence against them really necessary?  
  
"Here they come," Gaara said simply, not bothering to scoop the sand out from his food. He was used to it.  
  
The sand ground between his teeth, making a sick sound while gradually destroying his teeth.  
  
The wind blew softly, and Hinata looked up, at the doves.  
  
Gaara nodded at her, and Hinata swallowed.  
  
They landed between Gaara and Hinata's logs that they sat on, and transformed. Looking at the masks, Gaara smirked slightly.  
  
"Gaara of the Desert, you are under arrest for assisting in the hiding of the missing-nin Hyuuga Hinata. Kankuro and Temari, you also." The man sounded almost reluctant, but turned to Hinata.  
  
"Miss Hyuuga, you will have to come with me."  
  
"I don't think so," Gaara said, smiling.  
  
The ANBU readied themselves. "We do."  
  
"Desert coffin!"  
  
His sand overcame them like a rip tide on the north shore of the Pacific. {A/N: The only place I ever went this summer... -.- colder than if hell froze over.}  
  
It crushed against them, enfolding them tightly, sweeping them up into the sky.  
  
Enveloping the struggling ANBU, Gaara, Hinata, and Kankuro went into a tent. Gaara's head and hands were outside of the tent, as he looked up at the struggling ANBU.  
  
**'Mm... blood,'** Shukaku laughed inwardly, not escaping Gaara's level head.  
  
"Desert funeral," Gaara commanded. He disappeared into the tent as blood flickered everywhere. The blood mixed with sand splattered against the tent, making the sound of harsh raindrops. As the sounds ceased, they walked out.  
  
"... s-should we stop doing that?" Hinata asked quietly. "They're going to find us... it.. it's just a matter of time..." Hinata said, looking down at her feet, feeling terrible for being selfish. Here, these people, two of which had only known her for about ten minutes, gave her a place to stay and food to eat. Without killing her rabbit.  
  
Sighing, Hinata blushed. "...gomen for being a nuisance..." she muttered, shrinking down.  
  
Temari smiled at the girl. "Oh, come on," She said cheerfully. "It's nothing. We better get a move on, find a better spot."  
  
Nodding, she helped them pack up everything, stomping out the fire and carrying a tent. Temari carried the tools and things, knives, rice, chopsticks, and the sleeping bags while Gaara and Kankuro carried the other tents.  
  
Barely leaving any trace besides blood and a few ashes, the four left quietly.  
  
A/N: See?! I'm getting better with the cliffies... right....?  
  
Everyone: Well, you could-  
  
Kage: RIGHT?  
  
Everyone: err.. okay....  
  
Now that you're done with reading and I'm done... writing...? You can review!  
  
points at the adorable little button You know you want to!


	6. Chapter Six: Let Her Go

A/N: AH HAH! Back for another strange confusing episode?!??!?! I KNEW IT!!!! YOU'RE ALL INSANE!!! ... join the club.... Oh yeah, and I'm listening to sad songs, so don't blame me... -.-  
  
Gaara watched Hinata from the corner of his eyes. The wind blew from his left, west. They headed north. The wind blew his red hair into his eyes, but he didn't care.  
  
As nightfall approached it crept onto them like fog in London. It snaked around their ankles, loose until it reached their chests. It tightened around them, squeezing them.  
  
They set camp, the forest different again. It seemed to be always changing... forever morphing.  
  
Not risking a fire, they simply ate the leftovers, and slept. Temari and Hinata shared one, Kankuro had his own, and Gaara his own. Gaara didn't sleep, but it simply wasn't safe.  
  
Laying down on the soft blanket, Hinata rested her head on her arms, looking up at the fold of the tent.  
  
'Will I see the stars when I die? Or will it be in the day...' Hinata wondered, sighing. She was exhausted, but felt strangely energetic. Her right foot sat on top of her left, her legs straight. Temari was sleeping soundly.  
  
Slowly drawing a breath, Hinata matched hers with Temari's. Maybe she should train. A surge of excitement burst in her at the thought, but she might wake up Kankuro or Temari, or attract the attention of some searchers. She couldn't do that...  
  
But she needed to release her pent up energy. Standing up slowly, she crept out of the tent. Looking up, she could see the countless stars, staring down at her.  
  
Mesmerized, Hinata slowly walked around in circles, her head bent up, her mouth slightly open. After a few seconds, she had to crack her neck. So she laid down on the soft, long grass, and watched the stars. She could find a few pictures, but not many.  
  
Hinata stared thoughtfully. 'Those astrologers must have had a very creative imagination...' Hinata smiled and the stars seemed to smile back.  
  
The wind whistled softly though the branches, scooping low to brush the grass and wrap it cool fingers around her. sitting up, Hinata felt a slight jerk in her chest, making her wide awake.  
  
Was someone there?  
  
Quietly evoking her Byakugan, Hinata searched the trees for any movement, her heart thumping loudly in her chest like a newly captured lion in a cage.  
  
Swallowing hard, she forgot that Gaara didn't sleep, and slowly moved towards her pocket, which carried her shuriken and kunai. Slowly drawing out a kunai, she concealed it in her hand in case she was being watched.  
  
A chill ran down Hinata's back, making her stand straighter, looking a little more frantically at the woods.  
  
"Who is there?" She whispered.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Who is there?" Hinata asked, a little louder, fear crawling up and down her arms and legs.  
  
"Just me," Someone whispered.  
  
Someone familiar... Hinata gulped a little, frowning.  
  
"Please come out," She said quietly.  
  
Itachi watched as Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, blinking as he gathered his surroundings.  
  
"Good evening, Ke-chan," Itachi said, holding out the soup he'd continually warmed by the fire.  
  
Frowning, Sasuke asked, "What day is it?"  
  
"Yesterday was the day you went to sleep. It's 10:42 right now," Itachi said.  
  
Taking the soup, Sasuke slowly drank/ate it. {A/N: Whatever... no making fun of me! TT}  
  
Itachi picked up his book, and froze as jolting pain stabbed his head. It felt like someone had stuck a needle through his head. Clutching his head, he groaned and fell down, hissing.  
  
Sasuke watched, carefully watching. What was happening?  
  
On his knees, Itachi shuddered and fell back, blacking out.  
  
The last thing he heard was someone laughing...  
  
Sasuke stood up, a little shakily. He swayed, a little.  
  
Itachi sat up immediately, and stared.  
  
Swallowing unsurely, Sasuke backed up against the wall.  
  
"Ah, Sasuke." Itachi's voice was different.  
  
And Sasuke knew exactly who it was.  
  
"You." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. It wasn't 'chi-chan' who had killed them. It was him.  
  
Itachi laughed, standing up slowly, as if drunk.  
  
"I've been wanting to kill you," Sasuke said coldly.  
  
"Oh, really?" Itachi stared, his eyes slightly narrowed.  
  
"Yes." Gathering his chakra, Sasuke let out a shout.  
  
Smirking, Itachi bid him forward.  
  
Gaara lay awake, sighing softly as he stared up at the fold in his tent. Loneliness...  
  
As the unbidden thoughts that came with that single word rushed forth into him, Gaara felt the familiar constricting in his heart. Grabbing his chest, he swallowed hard.  
  
The darkness... it kept him company... but in return, he felt so vulnerable.  
  
Curling into a ball, Gaara turned to his left side.  
  
Hinata stared at the woods, shaking.  
  
"It's only me."  
  
"Who?" Hinata asked, fearing the answer.  
  
"..." The person sighed, and walked into the moonlight.  
  
Shino.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Hinata walked up to her former teammate.  
  
"How did you find me?" Hinata asked shyly.  
  
Shino simply extracted a small insect from Hinata's forehead protector that resided against her neck.  
  
Blinking, Hinata remembered the other times during missions that Shino had placed a female bug on all of them so Shino knew exactly where everyone was. Hinata could use her Byakugan and Kiba had Akamaru who knew their scents.  
  
Hinata sighed slightly, fairly relieved.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"You know, you're a missing-nin now," Shino said calmly, his hands in his pockets casually.  
  
"Eh?" Hinata blinked, stepping back slightly.  
  
"You should come back." Shino said simply.  
  
"...I don't think so," Hinata whispered, shaking her head.  
  
Gaara sat up, listening.  
  
"Why not?" Shino asked, frowning.  
  
Playing with her fingers, Hinata shook her head nervously.  
  
Gaara felt a slight twinge in his chest. There was nothing left for her here...  
  
She should go, he thought.  
  
"There can only be one solution," Gaara whispered softly to himself.  
  
His dark thoughts swirled and spiraled down to one decision.  
  
Standing up, Gaara exited his tent and said quietly, "Go with him."  
  
Looking back, Hinata looked confused, feeling slightly betrayed.  
  
Gaara looked at his feet, hoping he looked angry.  
  
"Go." It took everything inside him to not look at the torn face of the only person who had really ever cared about him...  
  
Out, before the darkness in my heart consumes you, Gaara thought, watching his feet with interest. It will come... and eat at you... until you're just a shell.... Like me.... run...  
  
"Gaara," Hinata said, hurt constricting her words.  
  
"Now. Or I'll kill you." He whispered, afraid of his own harsh voice. Don't look back, please don't look back.  
  
Gaara could feel his heart bursting inside him, begging him to run after her and tell her he was sorry... and take back the words that hurt her so badly...  
  
Hinata swallowed, trembling.  
  
"I've been pretending," Gaara forced out. Why wouldn't she just go? It was making him hurt too....  
  
"Gaara..." Hinata broke into a hurt sob.  
  
And he knew she would go. He would watch her exit the dark tunnel, and leave him behind.  
  
The light was still there for her. She could make it in time.  
  
It was too late for him.  
  
He had to save her.  
  
Go, he thought, pleading. Just go... make a new life... with Shino or whoever... I'm bound...  
  
I'm trapped here, and you have to go... you can't ever come back...  
  
Hinata sobbed, and Gaara trembled as he desperately pulled out three shuriken. With a warning shout, he threw them at her, hoping she would run.  
  
Shino pushed her out of the way, his bugs halting the shuriken.  
  
Gaara said softly, "Take her and go. Don't come back, or I'll kill you." The reluctant note in his voice was missed, and Shino picked Hinata up.  
  
"No... Gaara.... Onegai..." She whispered, the tears blocking her vision. Her thoughts flew in random directions, and she held her head, trying to ward off the headache.  
  
Gaara collected his sand and fused his feet to the ground.  
  
"We are in different worlds, Hyuuga Hinata," Gaara you. said, swallowing. I can't go with you... I can only go back... you have to go forward... even if that means I have to push you.  
  
Even if that means I have to hurt you.  
  
"Get out of here." Gaara said, his voice not shaking. Inwardly, he screamed and pounded himself.  
  
A part of him wanted to shout and bring her back...  
  
But another told him to let her go.  
  
You cannot keep her here in this prison of hatred. It's not fair for her.  
  
Shino leapt into the night air, despite Hinata's protests.  
  
"No, please, Shino... I can't..." Hinata reached her hand out, as if she could grab onto Gaara, and hold on forever.  
  
Gaara wished he could reach out...  
  
But he couldn't .  
  
Let her live her life... she doesn't deserve to live with you in your hell.... This nightmare....  
  
It's never ending.  
  
She... she can still go... the door hasn't closed for her ... she has to go now....  
  
_Now..._  
  
Gaara swallowed hard. Shino was still in the air, and Hinata's cries were fading...  
  
Now is your last chance.  
  
No.  
  
Gaara forced himself to turn his back on them.  
  
The long tunnel was closing.... He was at the very bottom, and she was heading back up.  
  
Hinata was gone....  
  
And somewhere inside him, he knew the light was gone. She was so close to being trapped, but she still left.  
  
Forever....  
  
Don't come back, he thought, shaking his head. Tears ran down his face.  
  
Don't look back, ever...  
  
Please...  
  
Have a nice life....  
  
One without the darkness...  
  
One without the loneliness...  
  
"No regrets," he whispered to himself, as he sank down and cried.  
  
Now, it was just him... in his cage of vengeance...  
  
He hoped he wouldn't have to see her again. It would hurt too much.  
  
Please forget me, he thought.  
  
Never forgive me.  
  
"I miss you," he whispered into the empty night sky.  
  
Itachi formed his hard practiced hand seals.  
  
How foolish... he thought as Sasuke raced forward, forming his own hand seals.  
  
Flicking out four kunai, Sasuke tipped them with his glowing chakra. Throwing three swiftly, he thought of plans to do this...  
  
How long he'd been waiting...  
  
Itachi waited, his Sharingan waking.  
  
Sasuke smirked, his eyes opening wide.  
  
Three dots in all four destructive eyes. {A/N: Yeah, I know, I know, Sasuke only has two... yeah, yeah, yeah...}  
  
Sasuke threw two of them, knowing Itachi had seen him tip the fourth. Bringing it behind him, he smirked.  
  
Making a replica of himself, he transformed the bunshin into a kunai. Throwing both with the illusion of one, he quickly began another. It wouldn't hold him off for long.  
  
The kunai swished through the air and stopped in the wall, his replica behind him. Pulling out a kunai swiftly, the replica stabbed it into Itachi.  
  
But the form melted into a puddle of water. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu, Sasuke knew, and he turned around, feeling Itachi behind him. Throwing a kunai that he had hidden into his chest, Sasuke prepared to face the real one.  
  
But there wasn't one.  
  
Turning back, Sasuke watched Itachi crumple to the floor.  
  
'It can't have been that easy.... Killed by just a kunai...? It's not possible!'  
  
But Itachi whispered, "Why? Ke-chan....?" Sasuke's eyes widened.  
  
Was this how...?  
  
Itachi's mouth twitched slightly and his eyes were still open.  
  
Shaking, Sasuke shook his head.  
  
"Not... possible...."  
  
He sat down, staring at the only family he had left.  
  
He fell back, staring at the roof. Memories flooded back to him.  
  
"Nii-san!" Sasuke shouted, his little legs running after his older brother.  
  
Turning around coldly, Itachi watched as Sasuke smiled cheerfully.  
  
"Can you play with me today nii-san?" Sasuke asked, his hopeful little eyes staring at Itachi.  
  
Pulling his hair into a low ponytail, Itachi said, "No. I'm too busy today."  
  
Sasuke was disappointed, and he looked down at his shoes.  
  
"Forgive me, Sasuke." He said, after tapping his forehead, Itachi walked out.  
  
Sighing, Sasuke boredly drew circles in the dirt.  
  
"Maybe he won't be busy someday..." Sasuke said quietly. But it was doubtful.  
  
Sasuke swallowed, shuddering. Itachi had never played with him...  
  
But now, laying on the floor, staring at Itachi's dead body, Sasuke wondered if it could have been different.  
  
"Maybe... maybe if you had loved me..." Sasuke said quietly, his head to the side.  
  
"Maybe we could have been best friends... and maybe they wouldn't be dead..." Sasuke closed his eyes.  
  
"But now what do I do?" he whispered, as if telling a secret.  
  
"I can't... I can't live like this... there is no purpose... I feel no drive to keep on going..."  
  
And he knew what to do.  
  
Slowly taking the kunai out of Itachi's chest, Sasuke smiled bitterly.  
  
"Hmph." Wiping Itachi's blood off, Sasuke held it to his chest.  
  
"Sayonara," He said softly, chuckling.  
  
Gaara sat on the ground, breathing shallowly.  
  
"Alone.... In the cage...." He whimpered and closed his eyes tightly.  
  
A/N: I know, a little shorter than usual... TT where did all the reviews go??? .... Grr.... Fine.


	7. Chapter Seven: Enter new character

A/N: See? That was what you got for three reviews... -.- even though I KNOW more than three people read chapter five... I know it.... Grrr... oh yeah, enter new character. thank you for the reviews on chapter 6, though.   
  
Hinata stared at the wall, her eyes blank and wide. The wall was pure white, but still it managed to remind her of Gaara.  
  
Her heart ached, and she sat on her futon, holding it as if trying to keep the shattered pieces of her broken heart together.  
  
She had thought that maybe he'd be back...  
  
But after an entire, intolerable week of insomnia, Hinata finally slipped into a fitful sleep.

Please forget I ever existed. May I just be a blank in your memories  
  
Gaara pulled his knees to his chest, shaking. She was gone...  
  
I wish she would come-  
  
No.  
  
She had to stay away.  
  
It would not be fair, he told himself.  
  
He felt a slight tingling sensation run down his back.  
  
Turning around cautiously, he was extremely surprised when a cold, wet nose pressed against his arm.  
  
Looking down, he sighed.  
  
Hinata had left her rabbit.  
  
"Kuso," Gaara muttered, extremely annoyed. But he couldn't resist the tearful eyes and picked Chinoumi up.  
  
Stroking the soft fur, he knew she'd take any reason to come back and find him.  
  
Gently scratching behind the long ears Chinoumi tripped over too many times to count, Gaara stared at the stars.  
  
Maybe...  
  
Maybe one day she could come back....  
  
And maybe by then he would have found a way to rid himself of Shukaku...  
  
But it was doubtful.  
  
With a small sigh, Gaara mumbled down to Chinoumi, "I wonder if I shouldn't have done that..."  
  
"No." he said, confidence staining his words. "She's better off... with them..." He felt exhausted suddenly.  
  
Chinoumi's whiskers flittered around, and Gaara gently stood up, trying not to disturb Chinoumi.  
  
With a slight sigh, Gaara felt people coming towards them.  
  
Maybe I should have waited for someone else to come.... It looks like they're trying to find us.... That Shino guy has pretty good luck... Gaara thought glumly.  
  
Chinoumi curled up tighter, pushing against Gaara's stomach.  
  
Calming Chinoumi down, Gaara was about to awaken Temari and Kankuro but then shrugged. They needed sleep. He didn't.  
  
Chinoumi's silver whiskers were twitching in a crazed frenzy.  
  
He frowned. Couldn't they leave Chinoumi alone?  
  
Deftly landing about four feet from Gaara, the team of ANBU smirked at him.  
  
"Gaara of the Desert, we will have to-"  
  
"I don't think so." Gaara interrupted, frowning at the masks of animals. His sand wrapped around his feet.  
  
"You killed the other team of ANBU. You have to suffer the consequences."  
  
"You kept my rabbit from sleeping." He said coldly. They seemed to finally notice the rabbit in his arms.  
  
Glancing around, as if unsure of this sight, a few of them coughed.  
  
"One step closer and I'll kill you," Gaara warned, gently putting Chinoumi down. She hopped into his tent.  
  
His sand made a soft, rain like sound as it rushed against the ground. It halted just one foot before them.  
  
"I'm telling you, go away." Gaara commanded, even though he knew it was useless.  
  
"We are ANBU. You have to come with us," One insisted impatiently.  
  
Before the others could warn him, he stepped onto the sand.  
  
It raced up, silencing his mouth.  
  
"Sabaku kyuu," Gaara said simply. Bringing his hand higher up into the sky, Gaara calmly went to the tent.  
  
"Sabaku SouSou." He closed his fist, ducking into the tent with Chinoumi.  
  
The blood made a familiar splattering sound, mixed with the sand.  
  
Walking out, Gaara held Chinoumi.  
  
"So, gentlemen, if you please," Gaara said, being as polite as he had ever been in his entire life.  
  
One snorted. "He's just bluffing."  
  
"Oh, really? Then why don't you go!"  
  
"Hey, maybe we should go,"  
  
"Wuss!"  
  
Gaara softly turned, and silently woke Temari and Kankuro. They packed up, leaving the illusion that camp was still set.  
  
Kankuro and Temari put everything away, while Gaara stayed in their sight, making a clone.  
  
Leaping up, they left.  
  
Spreading out, they made a sort of braid with their tracks, coming together and then jerking apart in patterns.  
  
Finally ending together again in a forest, they looked ahead and saw a small, distant village, in the shadow and base of a mountain.  
  
Gaara had taken Chinoumi, resting in his arms.  
  
"Should we stay there?"  
  
"Iie." Gaara shook his head. "We're being searched for. A village is where they'll look. We will put on different clothes, and go up to the mountains. We can lose them there."  
  
"Are you sure we can live there? We have never been to a mountain," Temari said, looking worried.  
  
"Hai." Gaara shrugged. "Can you think of anything better?"  
  
"No. Let's keep going. Less people will see us at night," Kankuro said with a small sigh.  
  
They leapt off, Gaara wishing Hinata had taken Chinoumi... it wasn't as if she wasn't helpful, but she would be another mouth to feed.  
  
They changed into black clothes, using genjutsu to change Temari's hair to blue, Gaara's to green, and Kankuro didn't need his changed anyway.  
  
As they crept into the village, the soft chimes of strange metal filled their ears. The lights were off in every house as far as they could see, and the doors and windows shut tightly.  
  
Confused, they knocked on a random door.  
  
After a moment, a person's head poked through the top window, fear in their eyes. It was an old man, wrinkled and age spots littered their face, visible even from there.  
  
"Are you here to fight the demon?" He asked, hope filling his voice.  
  
"What demon?" Kankuro asked.  
  
"Oh... too bad... Hey, you'd better find a place to hide," The man whispered urgently.  
  
"What demon?" Temari repeated for Kankuro.  
  
"It's a huge, monster." He shuddered. "A large, wolf demon. It comes every night at this time, and fights. We've assembled many people there, at the front," he pointed to the direction they were going. "And it kills them. It eats them, and every year we get less people to volunteer their lives to save the village."  
  
"Hmm." Gaara said coldly. "How big is it?"  
  
"About three times the size of this house." The house was large, and two stories high.  
  
"I think we could take this wolf demon," Temari mused.  
  
"With all three of us, probably. Although we may suffer damages." Kankuro said, glancing back at his puppet.  
  
"Let's go then," Gaara said simply. They walked casually down, and the old man sighed.  
  
Another three young souls lost the demon.  
  
Temari took out her polished fan, slamming it into the ground where the other ten people stood. They looked at her, slightly jolted.  
  
"When does it come?" Kankuro asked, unfurling his puppet.  
  
"I-in five minutes' time," a young boy only a few years older than them whispered.  
  
"Hmm. Good." Gaara uncorked his gourd, the sand flowing out. They watched as the three readied their weapons.  
  
"You should all go back to your homes," Kankuro said, not looking up from his puppet.  
  
"W-why?"  
  
"Because you may be hurt in our slaughter," Gaara said coldly, his sand reaching forward to grab onto the base of a tree. The forest was on the right, and the mountain on the left.  
  
As a demonstration, Gaara murmured, "Sabaku kyuu." The sand coated the tree entirely, from the protruding root to the highest leaf.  
  
"Sabaku SouSou." His fist crushed the little bits of sand caught in his hand. The tree gave a loud crack before splitting apart, Temari's fan making sure the wood needles came only a foot in front of their faces before shooting back.  
  
Suddenly, slow, rhythmic stomping could be heard and felt. The ground shook, and they hurriedly rushed to their homes. Gaara set Chinoumi down.  
  
Sweeping out her fan, Temari smirked, excitement bubbling up in her.  
  
Kankuro wiggled his fingers, and could have closed his eyes while fighting if he wanted to.  
  
The stomps grew louder and heavier. They could see clouds of dust, and a blurry gray form if they looked hard enough.  
  
The blur became a smudge, and the smudge became a strange, furry thing.  
  
Then it became a wolf.  
  
Towering over the three Sand-nins, it snarled, saliva dripping down in giant globs.  
  
Whipping the fan, Temari flicked it from her left to her right.  
  
The wind blasted though the air, howling. The wolf barred its teeth and closed its eyes, trees flying at it.  
  
"Kankuro, your turn," Temari smiled.  
  
Moving his puppet forward, Kankuro smirked, knowing exactly what finger and movement did what. The chakra strings didn't grow thin.  
  
The poisonous additions swiftly popped out, and he stabbed the paw. The wolf howled, furious.  
  
Quickly moving his marionette, Kankuro dodged the mouth and paws deftly, getting in three more shots before retracting his puppet.  
  
One of the arms had been taken off, but he was able to get it back by reattaching the chakra string.  
  
Gaara smirked.  
  
"My turn." He ran forward, narrowing his eyes. The sand wound around the wolf's feet, as it got slowed down by the poison.  
  
"Sabaku kyuu!" Gaara snarled, dodging the wolf's heavy attempts.  
  
The wolf howled as it was drenched in his sand, Gaara running and dipped behind a tree.  
  
"Sabaku SouSou!" Clenching his fist, everyone heard the wolf's last howl.  
  
Blood, tiny fragments of crushed bones and sand flew everywhere.  
  
Stepping out, Gaara walked calmly to Temari and Kankuro.  
  
The doors opened reluctantly, and hesitant people slowly stepped out.  
  
As everyone came out, the silent village burst into cheers. Throwing things like hats or necklaces into the air.  
  
Gaara was slightly surprised as everyone came and thanked him, respect and joy in their eyes...  
  
Along with love.  
  
Slightly startled by this, Gaara's eye brows furrowed.  
  
Apparently, they didn't know who he was.  
  
Temari smiled, flourishing her fan.  
  
Kankuro fixed his puppet, and surprisingly amused the children as he retracted the poisonous blades and played with them.  
  
So Gaara stood, his arms crossed.  
  
A small child, not but three or four, came up. She had dark, blue eyes, and long black hair that shielded her face. She was thin, her arms tiny and pale, wearing something resembling a burlap sack with dirt and mud on her. Her face was slightly dirty, a streak of mud on her left cheek.  
  
She smiled shyly at him.  
  
"A-ano, nii-san, c-could I see the sand?" she whispered, hope painting her face as her fingers melted together behind her back. She was so kawaii.  
  
Gaara stared, and finally sand trickled out of his gourd, building the cleanest sandcastle he supposed she'd ever seen... if she even had seen one in her life.  
  
It was small, but intricate. Small, tiny steps, and he hardened it to stay together.  
  
"What's your name?" he asked her.  
  
"Hakugin."  
  
"I'm Gaara," Gaara said, gently ruffling her hair. She smiled at him.  
  
"Where is your okassan?" He asked quietly, bending down.  
  
She didn't look up from the sandcastle, saying quietly, "I don't know."  
  
"And... and your outassan?"  
  
"He left...but he'll come back," She raised her chin up at him, tears in her eyes. "... don't you think so?"  
  
"Hai." Gaara said softly, making small figures and hardening them. Handing the small, one inch people to her, Gaara stood.  
  
"That castle will last about seven months." He said quietly.  
  
"Will.... Will you come back, Gaara-chan?" She asked hopefully.  
  
"...hai. When I come back, I'll build you a new castle."  
  
"D... demo, that means you'll be gone for seven months," Hakugin said sadly, wringing her hands.  
  
Gaara sighed. "You're very smart, Hakugin." Chinoumi's little nose pressed against her leg, and she blinked.  
  
"This," he said, picking Chinoumi up, "Is Chinoumi."  
  
Hakugin looked timidly at the rabbit.  
  
"Does she bite?"  
  
"No." He let he touch her soft fur.  
  
"Where do you stay?"  
  
"Here." She pointed to a small trench by the forest.  
  
"Hmm. Let me see if I can do something about that." Standing up, he said to her, "Wait here. I'll be right back."  
  
Walking over to Temari and Kankuro, he said something to them, gesturing to Hakugin.  
  
Kankuro shrugged, and Temari nodded.  
  
Walking back, Gaara smiled faintly down at her.  
  
"Would you like to come with us?"  
  
Gasping, Hakugin threw her small, pale arms around his legs and sniffed.  
  
"Arigato, Gaara-chan!"  
  
Gaara couldn't help a tiny smile.  
  
"This is Temari," he said, introducing the two females, "And this is Kankuro."  
  
Hakugin smiled nervously, blushing and ducking half behind Gaara's legs.  
  
"Hello," Temari said, bending down to smile at Hakugin.  
  
"Mn," Kankuro said, nodding with a slight smile.  
  
Gaara picked Hakugin up, as she was very light. They set off towards the mountains, waving.  
  
Hakugin fell asleep, and they kept walking up the mountain.  
  
The sun rose, and Temari sighed. It's only been a few hours and I'm exhausted. How does Gaara stand this?  
  
Stopping at a stream, they woke Hakugin up. They all washed, Temari with Hakugin and Kankuro with Gaara.  
  
Changing back to their original hair colors, they put on black clothes, Temari sewing new clothes from old black ones for Hakugin.  
  
Kankuro went in search for food, Temari kept sewing, and Gaara decided to try fishing.  
  
"Onii-chan, when can we eat?" Hakugin asked, holding her grumbling stomach.  
  
Gaara said reassuringly, "Soon." Sharpening a long stick he'd found, he waded silently into the middle of the stream, keeping still.  
  
Only a few moments later, he spotted a fish and swiftly took aim and jerked it into the water.  
  
Hakugin watched, apparently fascinated with the water.  
  
Spearing the fish successfully, Gaara handed the dead fish to Kankuro, who arrived with firewood in one arm and a few small carrots among other things.  
  
Washing the vegetables in the clear water, Gaara managed to spear six more fish. They were vaguely the same, almost a foot in length each.  
  
Hakugin helped wash the vegetables, because that was about all she could do. Temari built the fire, and it almost felt like a functional family.  
  
Sticking the fish on individual pieces of wood, they each roasted their own food. Picking out their favorite vegetables, they added them on and cooked them.  
  
Hakugin watched her fish with wide eyes, the fire so bright, cracking and spitting.  
  
"Ano, what is that, Gaara- onii-chan?" Hakugin asked, tugging feebly at Gaara's clothes.  
  
"Nani?" Gaara asked, leaning forward.  
  
"That." She pointed to the fire.  
  
"Fire."  
  
"What's a fire?" she asked, curious wide eyes looking at the red and orange flames.  
  
Gaara answered, "It keeps you warm, but if you get too close," he put a leaf in the fire, "it will burn you."  
  
Taking the singed leaf out, Hakugin carefully touched it, blinking.  
  
"Does burn hurt?"  
  
"Yes." Temari answered for Gaara, who had never been burnt.  
  
"It leaves a mark," She said, pulling up the long black sleeve of her outfit. On the up side of her wrist, there was a small round circle. It was darker than the other skin, and Temari sighed.  
  
"It hurt a lot. Hot things will burn you, and cold things will freeze you. The cold isn't as bad, unless you are way up north, where it snows a lot. Have you seen snow, Hakugin?"  
  
"Iie. Tassan used to tell me about it though," Hakugin said dreamily. Then she perked up, "I think someone's coming."  
  
"Where?" Gaara stood up, his eyes flickering everywhere.  
  
Kankuro and Temari stood up as well. Hakugin remained seated, comforted in the fact that they would protect her.  
  
Figures jumped out, from everywhere. All around them, ANBU teams appeared.  
  
Kakashi sighed, slightly bored. Yawning slightly, he approached them first.  
  
"Good evening, Kankuro, Temari, Gaara," He looked at Hakugin.  
  
"Who can this be?" He smiled, bending down.  
  
Hakugin hid behind Gaara's pants, blushing at the appearance of so many people. She held onto Gaara's hand, Chinoumi in Gaara's other.  
  
"Oh, right," Kakashi muttered, standing up. "Ahem. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, you will have to come with me."  
  
"And leave a child to fend for herself?" Gaara asked coldly, his old voice coming back. "I don't think so."  
  
"Of course not," Kakashi smiled. "You'll have to bring her back to the village."  
  
"D-demo..." Hakugin frowned, looking down.  
  
"Hmm?" Kakashi looked down at Hakugin.  
  
"D-demo, I don't want to go back," Hakugin whispered, the grip on Gaara's hand growing tighter.  
  
Gaara set Chinoumi in Hakugin's arms, gently detaching her hold.  
  
"If it is a fight you want, then we'll have to kill you," Temari said, taking out her fan.  
  
Kakashi sighed. "Iie. We don't want to fight, but you'll have to come with us."  
  
Kankuro rolled his eyes, getting his puppet out. "Karasu, it's time to play." Moving the puppet with the strings of chakra, he laughed at them.  
  
The three got into a triangle, Hakugin and Chinoumi inside.  
  
Sand flowed out of the gourd, and Gaara folded his free arms across his chest. He didn't particularly want Hakugin to see this, but it couldn't be helped.  
  
Temari's fan glinted against the afternoon sun, and Kakashi sighed.  
  
"We don't want to fight anymore." He insisted.  
  
"We don't want to kill anymore, but it seems you want to die, so we'll help you," Temari said.  
  
Hakugin nibbled on her fingernails.  
  
Without looking behind him, Gaara said, "Don't chew your nails. It's a bad habit." She stopped immediately, nervously twiddling her thumbs.  
  
Kakashi sighed. "If she can beat you, then will you come?"  
  
"Yes." Kankuro answered for them.  
  
"Then let us begin."  
  
A/N: Don't you just love a cliffie? -.- I sure do.. hee hee... oh, what is that I see on the horizon?! Why, another cliff hanger!!! YAY!!!  
  
Oh, yeah, and Hakugin means silver or white. Demo is but, kassan is short for okassan, which is mother. And Tassan is shortened for outassan, which is father...  
  
Is that it? 


End file.
